WineMouth

Taking the Port Out of Portugal

2011-12-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

An obscure European import with an intense following. A little bombastic, not the type you could hang out with every day. While I could be talking about the film director Werner Herzog, in this case the topic is port.

I don't know why he came to mind as I was taking my first turn with an American port: the Terra d'Oro Zinfandel Port. It had the rich raisin scent usually found in port, along with a distinct hit of chocolate, but the taste delivered a measure of the heat that zin is famous for. It's not overly sweet or heavy (19 percent alcohol, about $24 a bottle).

Zinfandel is not one of the grapes normally associated with this style of wine, but I am happy to see port being pushed in new directions. It's still a niche market, but it seems port is gaining ground here, with five dozen California wineries now producing the fortified wine.

Herzog left Germany for Los Angeles; port migrated from its origins in the Douro Valley of Portugal to the vineyards of California. Here's to more mixing of Old Europe with "the New World."

A Kicky Kiwi

2011-09-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

I am usually a fan of New Zealand wines, and the 2008 Sacred Hill Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (about $15, 12.5 percent alcohol) was no exception.

It was a zesty white, a little grassy and slightly smoky, with a clean, crisp finish. Of course, sauvignon blanc is known as a great "food" wine, and the Sacred Hill was an amiable companion to last night's fresh pasta salad. The label bills it as having "tropical" flavors, which I didn't especially notice.

This wine seems to have made friends and enemies: The wine writers of the St. Petersburg Times named it a Wine of the Week in mid-July ("Given its exuberant fruit and exquisite dryness, this wine enters our pantheon of refreshing summer wines..."), while Tim's Wine Blog, based in the U.K., said it lacked "depth and complexity."

I thought it was somewhere between those two poles: a nice, easy-drinking summer wine, perhaps made more enjoyable by the fact that the season is quickly slipping away here.

Hinky Pink

2011-08-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

Summer. Specifically, the dog days of August. The swampy humidity has given way to perfect warm (but not too warm) weather.
It's dinnertime, and Nicoise salad is on the menu.
The ideal wine is usually rose ... but not this one.
The Barton & Guestier Rose D'Anjou (2010) is about as cloying as they come. Sweet wine makes my skin crawl, and this one was simply over the top. I don't recoil at sweetness in other forms; bring on the cake and ice cream, I say. But wine is a different story.
(It reminds me of a trip to the South; we were in Little Rock, I think, and the choices of bottled iced tea at the grocery store included sweet and extra sweet.)
Verdict: To be avoided unless you like your wine to give you sugar shock.

Back to School Special

2011-06-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post this email I received from my wine guru, Kevin Zraly. If you live in the tristate area and can afford to take this class, I highly recommend it. Zraly is so knowledgeable -- and hilarious. This price is a bargain, too; I paid almost $1,000 for the class two years ago. He once said that the fall semester of 2011 would be his last course (the 10th anniversary of 9/11). I wonder if that's still true?

Kevin Zraly is pleased to announce the 35^th Anniversary of
the Windows on the World Wine School!

To celebrate this milestone Kevin is offering a one-time price for alumni and their friends for the Fall 2011 semester only. We have deducted $35 off of each individual class and the Fall semester price will be $720 per person. This offer
expires on September 1^st. Friends will need to be recommended by an alumni to take advantage of this price.

Monday, September 12 – White Wines of France

Monday, September 19 – White Wines of California, New York, and Washington

Monday, September 26 – White Wines of Germany and the Component Tasting

Monday, October 3 – Red Wines of Burgundy and the Rhone

Monday, October 10 – Red Wines of Bordeaux

Monday, October 17 – Red Wines of California and Oregon

Monday, October 24 – Red Wines of Spain and Italy

TUESDAY, November 1 – Champagne and Port

For more information, please call Michelle at 845-255-1456 or email at kevin@kevinzraly.com. Please visit our website at www.kevinzraly.com.

Kevin Zraly
Windows on the World Wine School
P.O. Box 847
New Paltz, New York 12561

(845) 255-1456
kevin@kevinzraly.com
www.kevinzraly.com

2011 James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
author and educator of Windows on the World Complete Wine Course

@kevinzraly on twitter
Become my friend on facebook

Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

2011-06-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

I ran across an interesting article, "Wines That Favor Balance Over Power," in The Wall Street Journal from June 18.
The subject of the story, David Ramey, said he "was driving on a dusty road through the land of tequila and mezcal when he had what he describes as his "coup de foudre"— otherwise known as his road-to-Mexicali moment — and realized, improbably, that he wanted to make wine. "I suddenly thought, wine makes people happy," he says.
Amen to that! (His "eureka"moment is coincidentally the subtitle of this blog.)
The author, Jay McInerney, so far hasn't grabbed me like the previous WSJ wine writers, Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, who were splendid. Of course, I will give him a few more chances ... I wonder if (paid) wine writer is the dream job it appears to be?
In any case, this is my 100th post. Here's to 100 more, or 1,000.

O.Z. (Original Zin)

2011-05-28T05:18:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night's wine was the 2007 Ridge Old School Zinfandel (Sonoma County, California). This vintage had a very limited production -- just 51 barrels were made ($30 a bottle).

If this wine were any more fruit-forward, it would be a glass full of grapes. Despite a high alcohol content, at 15.2 percent, there is no heat, just a plush, untannic flood of zin flavor. I found it cherry-sweet for a zinfandel -- I usually get more spice from this grape.

One review said the Old School has a "port-like taste," which might not marry well with food, and I agree. This wine yearned to be a stand-alone drink. And that's OK -- it's just not something I could drink every day.

Cork Conundrum

2011-05-08T14:21:00.000-07:00

Austrian whites are buzzworthy these days -- I had my first Grüner Veltliner about this time last year -- but I had never had an Austrian red until Bud dropped by bearing one a couple of weeks ago.
I was puzzled at first by the 2007 Steininger Zweigelt Novemberlese (Kamptal Österreich), and not just because of its multisyllabic name. What grape was this? (Zweigelt, it turns out, harvested in November, just like it says in the name. I guess it's time to learn some German.) And how on earth do you get into the bottle? Under the foil I found my first glass cork -- huh? Slice off the foil, then nearly slice off a digit getting a sharp knife under the stopper. Does this wine come with health insurance?
After some struggling, we finally got it uncorked. The wine had a peppery bite that evoked zinfandel, except lighter on the palate, and strong notes of cherry. It was medium dry (13.5 percent alcohol), a pleasant but not showstopping red.
At about $18, this was a wine I enjoyed but would hesitate to buy unless someone else is cracking it open.

29 Tricks

2011-04-25T19:35:00.001-07:00

Continuing our exploration of Bud Armstrong Cellars (I think my father-in-law owns more wine than many shops do), we had a bottle of red with a bit of age on it the other night.
It was a 1996 Vineyard 29 Cabernet Sauvignon (Grace Family Vineyards, Napa, Calif.), and at first Bud thought it was a bust. He had trouble opening it since the cork was shredding -- usually not a good sign in a wine.
At first taste, it was pretty lifeless. It was also still quite opaque for a 15-year-old -- usually they begin to lighten up a few years in, but this cab was inky. The 29 tasted of dried fruit and had a death grip on its tannins (after 22 months in oak, I can see why). I thought Bud was ready to give up on it, but I held out hope.
And we were rewarded. It was simply gasping for air -- the wine improved dramatically within an hour of being opened. Bud said he thought it got better the longer it aired. It was slightly viscous, medium-bodied (13.6 percent alcohol) and pricey: $75.

Big Pink

2011-04-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

The snow is mostly melted, and it seems winter is finally slipping away. The minute I unearth a pair of shorts from my dresser drawer, it's time to start drinking rose.
Tonight it was a 2010 Bieler Pere et Fils (Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence), a glassy, pale pink wine with a strong flavor of watermelon. Not the fruit but the Jolly Rancher candy -- and I'm not being a Mean Girl when I say that. It was a sweet note on what is actually a fairly dry wine (50 percent syrah, 30 percent grenache and 20 percent cabernet sauvignon, and 13.5 percent alcohol).
The wine (about $14) paired well with our dinner of shrimp and vegetables over rice, and I found a pleasant tartness to it when consumed with food.
I could see myself drinking a copious amount of this rose in the next few months. So glad summer is almost here.

Spring and Winter

2011-03-30T19:50:00.001-07:00

When Bud brought over a bottle last week and declared it "the best sauvignon blanc" he's ever tasted, well, I knew I had to throw back a glass. It was the 2009 Cade Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley), and it was a lovely discovery. This wine had notes of fig and citrus -- none of that slightly skunky aroma often found in sauvignon blanc. I kept thinking it tasted like spring (corny, I know), which I am craving as we wait for the remainder of those hideous gray blobs of snow to melt. Also, it included some of my favorite features in wine: the convenient screw-top bottle and a healthy alcohol content (13.8 percent). Not cheap -- about $25 -- but worth it if you're a particular fan of this white.

And another treat from Bud last night: the 2002 Ridge Mataro (Pato Vineyard). This blend -- 75 percent mataro, also known as mourvedre, and 25 percent zinfandel -- tasted richly of prune/raisin and had an almost oily quality to it; this is a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs wine (14.9 percent alcohol), a perfect winter red that has aged well. (The wine also stirred fond memories of my visit to their vineyard last year.) Ridge made only 38 barrels of it, and it's not even available on their website. If you can find it, drink it. (Price unavailable.)

Big Black

2011-03-08T18:08:00.000-08:00

Hit the sale at Surdyk's recently and came up with a little gem, Le Grand Noir 2008 (Minervois, France). It's 60 percent grenache, 35 percent shiraz and 5 percent mourvedre, and medium-bodied at 13 percent alcohol.
I found aromas of yeast and plum -- it had an almost herbal quality. The first sip was a bright shot of tannin, but it quickly turned mellower and even a little tingly after a few moments. This is a lovely, well-balanced wine; it won the 2010 gold medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competiton, which I hope it not a bunch of marketing hooey. Well, even if it is, it doesn't diminish this appealing wine, which I acquired for the equally appealing price of $6.99.
It's a screw-top bottle, which I love -- my favorite corkscrew broke a while back (from overuse, no doubt), and I have yet to find its equal.

Wine for Dummies

2011-01-17T11:51:00.000-08:00

For news, you can't beat the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal; I look at both of their websites daily. Heck, I even used to work at one of those fine institutions. Another feature the two papers have shared is the wine club -- I know the Times had one recently, although I just did a quick search of their site and could find no evidence of its continued existence.
Anyway, the Journal still has one, now advertising your first case of wine for $69.99 (plus $19.99 shipping). Subsequent deliveries are $139.99 plus tax and shipping. That first case is kind of tempting, with an average price of $7.50 a bottle. It's less of a deal when the "real" cost kicks up to $13.30 a bottle, but still, that's not a bad price if you're getting decent wine. But how would you know?
The disclaimer says, "WSJwine is operated independently of The Wall Street Journal’s news department." So it's not like you're getting the expertise of their wine writers in the selections, which might make a club like this more palatable for me.
In any case, I wouldn't let someone else pick the movies I'm going to see or the restaurants I'm going to try. Why would I let some random stranger pick my wine? I'm sure some marketing whiz got a big fat bonus for thinking that one up. As for me, they can keep their wine.

Nice Coat

2010-12-26T17:39:00.000-08:00

Bud brought over an interesting bottle the other night, the 2002 Turley White Coat (San Luis Obispo County). He said he thought it was overdue for consumption. In fact, it was a deep gold color, a sign that a white is showing its age. This wine is a Rhone varietal, and I thought it was musky and slightly woody -- almost chardonnaylike, but not as in your face. And this wine packs a wallop, at 15 percent alcohol -- more than most reds I drink. It's running about $80 to $100 online.
The White Coat might have been a bit over the hill, but it was a likable bottle (and it's hard to find a white I crave). Not sure I'd ever spend that much on a white, though.

Feeling Fizzy

2010-12-19T15:04:00.000-08:00

I was feeling nostalgic a few months back when I bought a bottle of Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut Champagne (Epernay, France) with a gift certificate from wine.com. This was our wedding Champagne in 2002, and I don't recall having any since then.
We had an occasion to celebrate: My impending return to work after nearly a year off.
So we popped the cork the other night. The Perrier-Jouet ($50) had flavors of lemon and moss, and a tart finish. The color was a delicate, pale straw. This elegant, understated wine was little more than I usually spend on Champagne, but it was delicious to the last bubble.

Two Newbies

2010-11-22T18:31:00.000-08:00

Yay, it's beaujolais nouveau time again! It's nice to sample a couple of these fresh wines, especially since we've already had a 10-inch snow storm here in Minneapolis.
On Saturday, I sampled the 2010 Labuouré-Roi Beaujolais Nouveau ($9); it was a luminous pale ruby in the glass, with an aroma of sour cherry. It had a flinty quality, and I found it very light on the palate, with some sweetness toward the finish.
And this evening, it was the 2010 Georges Duboef nouveau (about $8). This was a much deeper red than the Labouré, with notes of chalk and plum. It had a slight effervescence at first, and finished with more tannin than Saturday's wine. Some other reviewers found it tart this year, but I thought it was pretty well-balanced for a nouveau.
Very different styles, but both delicious.
Some critics say the whole nouveau celebration is a lot of hype for a wine that isn't that special, but I appreciate any event that helps make wine more fun and accessible. Even better, let's just think of it as an economical way to visit France!

Visiting Sonoma, Part 2

2010-10-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Into the tasting room ... it was a busy afternoon, with at least two tour groups visiting.

Later, we met the adorable donkeys.

Our second and final stop on Thursday was Cline Cellars in Sonoma. I picked it because I have been fond of Cline ever since the days of Jimmy Armstrong's Sal**n in New York, where their zinfandel was the house red.
The contrast with our earlier visit to Ridge Vineyards could not have been more pronounced. At Ridge, the vibe was sedate and intellectual, a place for true connoisseurs. Cline's tasting room was for people who like to drink. The place was buzzing like a 2-for-1 happy hour. In the world of wine, I can appreciate both atmospheres!
Perhaps it's because their wine is so accessible and reasonably priced. Or perhaps it's because the tasting room is free. (Ridge charged $5, which was waived for me because I mentioned my wine blog. Thanks, Ridge.)
I tasted six wines, one white and five red.
1. 2009 Marsanne/Roussane (Carneros), a blend of 74 percent marsanne and 26 percent roussane, two Rhone varietals. This citrusy white was pleasantly tart at the finish; it was a subtle wine from two grapes that are often blended, so this was an unusual pairing for the U.S. market ($20).
2. 2008 Cashmere (California, 44 percent mourvedre, 35 percent grenache and 21 percent syrah). It had a powdery aroma and a sweet finish. This was a silver medal winner at the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition; I liked it but it didn't dazzle me ($21).
3. 2008 Ancient Vines Carignane (Contra Costa County). This grape (pronounced karen-YAWN) was new to me, and had an unusual mouthfeel for me -- on first sip, it almost seems to expand in the mouth, and it felt like what I would describe as cloudy or pillowy. It was cool. One of the bartenders described it as "masculine" -- anyway, it had a hint of pepper, with a subtle dryness at the finish ($16). I bought a bottle of this one.
4. 2009 Ancient Vines Mourvedre (Contra Costa County). Chocolate flavors but too dry at the end. In contrast to the Carignane, this one was described as "feminine." ($18)
5. 2009 Zinfandel (California). A big-fruit classic, with soft cherry on the palate. Very well-balanced and at $12 a bottle, a wine for the people. Jimmy Armstrong's house red holds up.
6. 2008 Ancient VInes Zinfandel (California). Spicy aromas, lots of black raspberry flavor, but kind of tannic and what I would call a "fruit bomblet" -- just a bit too overwrought. ($18).
Besides the Carignane, Cline had a few bottles on sale, so I picked up a couple of 2008 Zinfandels at 40 percent off ($7.20 each). I know I paid at least twice that for this wine in New York, so it was hard to pass up such a bargain.
Cline Cellars has beautiful grounds and, out back, a pair of very friendly donkeys. It made for a very memorable afternoon.

Visiting Sonoma, Part 1

2010-09-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

Back yard at the Ridge Vineyards tasting room.

Happy, even though my glass is empty!

Behind the bar, Eliot was a fount of information. That band on his arm is for his repetitive stress injury from pouring so much wine.

With three-hundred wineries in Sonoma County, how do you pick which ones to visit? (When "all of the above" is not an option.) At the top of my list was Ridge Vineyards, mainly because I've always had good wines from them (thank you, Bud Armstrong...). So we made a visit to Healdsburg, Calif.
The chic tasting room -- high ceilings, stone floor, soothing earth tones -- has been open since 2002. I tasted nine wines there today.
1. 2007 Santa Cruz Mountain Estate Chardonnay ($40); decent but forgettable. I suppose Ridge is not the place I'd pick for Chardonnay, but I was curious.
2. 2008 Buchignani Carignane (100 percent old vine carignane, $28). A bit tart with a faint scent of cotton, this red was described by our bartender, Eliot, as a perfect "summer wine," and he was spot-on.
3. 2007 Lytton Springs (71 percent zinfandel, 22 percent petite sirah, 7 percent carignane) was thick-tasting and inky. A little too overwrought for me. ($36)
4. 2007 Zinfandel Carmichael (96 percent zinfandel, 4 percent petite sirah). Available only at the Ridge winery, this one was lush and a bit jammy without being a fruit bomb. The petit sirah seemed to take the diva-like zin grape down a notch. ($28)
5. 2006 Lytton Zinfandel Estate (84 percent zinfandel, 16 percent petite sirah). You'd think since I liked the zin/petit sirah combination of the wine before this, more would be better. But this one just didn't hold up. It had some nice mineral aroma, but was ultimately kind of a wallflower. ($30)
6. 2007 Zinfandel Paso Robles (100 percent zinfandel); a spicy charmer, with notes of cinnamon and classic zinfandel structure. ($30)
7. 2008 Zinfandel East Bench (100 percent zinfandel). Both drier and brighter than the previous zin, Eliot called this one a classic "Dry Creek" zinfandel. Nice peppery notes.
8. 2007 Monte Bello (79 percent cabernet sauvignon, 10 percent merlot, 9 percent petit verdoh, 2 percent cabernet franc). This is one for the connoisseurs (and the wealthy, at $145). It has a delicate perfumey aroma, very herbal, with layers of flavor. A very special wine.
9. 2007 Pagani Ranch (85 percent zinfandel, 10 percent alicante bouschet, 3 percent petite sirah, 2 percent carignane). This one was tangy, with an almost sticky quality to it. Interesting but not my favorite. ($36).
Which bottles came with me? The 2007 Zinfandel Carmichael and the 2007 Zinfandel Paso Robles. I'd love to double back for the Monte Bello, but I'd have to rob a couple of banks first.

Robert Goodman Wines

2010-09-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Our main mission during our stay in Arcata, Calif., was to see the magnificent redwoods nearby. And we did, and they were awesome. I found time to squeeze in a tasting at Robert Goodman Wines, and I'm so glad I did. The tasting room has been open just since April. They produce all their wines in Arcata from grapes bought elsewhere.
I picked a flight of three wines; first up was the 2005 Carneros, Sangiacomo Vineyards Chardonnay. It had a rich lemon color and an aroma of slate but not much complexity. It was well-balanced but not outstanding ($26 a bottle).
Next was a 2007 Humboldt County, Alder Point, Rainbo Vineyards Pinot Noir. I found it floral and grassy, and overly tannic at first -- this one could use a year or two to soften up ($26 a bottle). The charming bartender, Jen, said another wine lover reported that "it bites," meaning it has a snap to it that makes for an abrupt drinking experience.
Last was my favorite, the 2006 Humboldt County, Orleans, Henry Rose Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, which had notes of moss and smoke and was a smooth ride from beginning to end. I had to take a souvenir of this one, also at $26.

Domaine Drouhin Oregon

2010-09-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

The vineyards at Domaine Drouhin Oregon.

The view from the porch just off the tasting room.

At long last I finally got to visit my first West Coast winery, Domaine Drouhin Oregon, on Saturday. The state has more than 400 wineries, so it was tough to choose which one to visit -- if I had been traveling on my own, I could have spent a few weeks wandering from tasting room to tasting room. But we only had time for one. Drouhin was a name I recognized from wine class last year, and their French wines have been reliably good, so I figured I couldn't go wrong.
The winery sits on a 200-acre farm (about 120 are vineyards) in Dayton, Ore., and it was a crisp, sunny day for a drive through the rolling hills. The tasting room was pouring three wines for $10, so I bellied up to the bar. The 2008 Chardonnay Arthur was buttery, not too woody, and refreshing, with pleasant acidity. Half the wine is aged in oak, half in steel before it's blended, so it has classic Chardonnay notes without belting you in the face. A bottle is $30.
Next was the 2008 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley ($20), which had a slightly skunky aroma. It was tannic and loamy -- it could use a little age to take the edge off.
Last was the 2006 Pinot Noir Laurene Cuvee, the definite champion of the day, and why not, at $65 a bottle? (Bought one; wanted a case.) It spent 14 months mellowing in the barrel, and the result is a balanced, silky wine with notes of rainwater and a distinct earthiness. Drouhin made 2,500 cases of the Laurene, and the bartender told me they expect to sell out within a month. That's one aspect of wine that I love: here today, gone tomorrow. Enjoy it, because you might never experience that wine again.

A Spanish Treat

2010-08-27T18:29:00.001-07:00

After Day 2 of trying to get a Minnesota driver's license -- oh, the bureaucracy! -- I needed to treat myself, and what I selected was the 2005 Joan d'Anguera La Planella (Monsant, Spain.) It was $17 at South Lyndale Liquors. The wine is 40 percent mazuelo and 20 percent each of syrah, grenache and cabernet sauvignon.
I never really pay too much attention to "official" wine ratings: to me, a good wine is any wine you like. But I was browsing around online and saw this one gets an 89 from erobertparker.com, so that's nice to know, if that's your thing.
This ruby red had aromas of cinnamon and straw, and on first taste you definitely get a big blast of the tannic/acidic mazuelo grape. It was a bit of a chameleon, though, and softened up after half an hour of airing. The Planella is full-bodied, too, at 14.5 percent alcohol. Just the thing to take the edge off after a day at the license bureau.

Please, Let Me Pay Some Taxes

2010-08-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

I might have to rename this blog Whinemouth temporarily.
We have had a lot to celebrate lately -- our return to Minnesota, the sale of our New York apartment -- and, naturally, have had our fair share of Champagne. A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to pick up a bottle of bubbly to share with a dinner guest. Unfortunately, it was a Sunday and I was out of luck.
Minnesota is one of 14 states that still enforces a ban on Sunday liquor sales. As the economy is still struggling back from a painful recession, you would think states would be doing everything possible to add to their tax revenues, by repealing these silly blue laws. But it hasn't happened yet.
Clinging to such laws is not just quaint. It's antiquated. It's bad for business. It's bad for consumers like me. Why shouldn't I be able to buy wine whenever I want?

One Thumb Up, One Thumb Down

2010-07-22T06:12:00.000-07:00

Bud has been burrowing into his wine collection lately, and on Saturday he came up with a 2000 Domaine René Leclerc Gevrey Chambertin. It was literally a dark and stormy night (you would have thought we were bound to be swept away like Dorothy the way the weatherpeople spoke of it), and to me, a fine night for a Burgundy with a few years on it.
The aroma was very rubbery at first, and tasted somewhat closed in. Bud, who said he paid $32 for the Gevrey about two years ago, passed swift judgment: "One or two years too old. Tart." I thought was only slightly overripe, with a long, dry finish and medium body (13 percent alcohol). It opened up an hour or so later, and I discovered notes of smoke and dried cherries. Bud seemed disappointed, but I found much to like: I guess I'm just a glass-half-full kind of girl.

At Last

2010-06-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

Had a little celebrating to do after our apartment finally sold, so we headed out to the highly recommended Trattoria Tosca in southwest Minneapolis. I liked the wine list for its mix of low, moderate and higher priced wines, and its length of three or four pages. I hate it when the list is too long -- too many choices is as bad as too few.
Our waitperson asked if we were looking for a red, which we were, so she recommended the 2006 Itre Vescovi Barbera d'Asti ($46). We love barbera anyway, so she had an easy sell. Unfortunately, she returned moments later to inform us they were out of that wine. Rats!
Next, I picked the 2007 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley), which was on their specials list for $52 (normally $80). It had subtle but not unpleasant notes of rubber, and what Bobby described as a "false start" -- sort of bland at the beginning but developing some spice toward the end. I thought it had a long finish, but Bobby passed judgment: "not a lot of body; thin."
Our third pick was the 2007 Ben Marco Malbec (Mendoza) at $45. Well, the 2007 was listed on the menu but the bottle delivered to the table was a 2008. When I pointed out the difference, our server offered to take $5 off the price, so we decided to try it. This wine had a lot going on: a strong scent of berries, slightly yeasty/syrupy/gamey, a bit tannic at first ... it had a lot of personality. We both liked this one better than the pinot noir.
Tosca's food was uneven; I loved the kumquat salad, and my tagliatelle with crab, cherry tomato and fennel was good but a bit plain. Bobby was impressed with the zucchini "pasta" (no noodles, but zucchini sliced into a spaghetti shape) but his swordfish arrived lukewarm. For dessert, the chocolate custard had a funky texture (the waitress ended up removing it from the bill), but the gelato -- one scoop each of roasted banana, orange olive oil and chocolate/hazelnut -- was perfect.
Photo from Urbanspoon

Back to the 'Burbs

2010-06-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

So, Winemouth has relocated from West 34th Street in Manhattan to suburban Minneapolis. I haven't lived in a suburb since 1995, but it was time for a change ... and instead of hearing trucks honking outside my window, I saw a bunny in the backyard at breakfast yesterday. Aaah.
A hot night calls for chilled wine, and that's just what Bud brought over on Tuesday. I've only had Basque wine once before, so I was eager to try the 2008 Itsas Mendi Bizkaiko Txakolina. (I love the fact that their Web site doesn't even have an English version yet.) It had the tiniest hint of effervescence and deep floral notes (12.5 percent alcohol, about $21). This luscious white hit the spot with a casual dinner from the incorrectly named Homemade Pizza Co.; their pizza is delicious, but when all you do is cook it in your own oven, I don't think you can honestly call it "homemade." But I guess We Make It, You Bake It just doesn't have the same ring.

We're Not in Argentina Anymore

2010-05-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

At our house, malbec has become a favorite recently for its likability and low price. Those Argentine winemakers have got a really good thing going.
So I was surprised to see a malbec from California at the shop across the street, 34th Street Winery. Paul, the owner, said it was the first he had seen, too.
The 2008 Red Rock Winery Reserve Malbec (about $10) had insistent notes of vanilla, and had a plushness to it that was very satisfying.
I found it slightly less spicy than the malbecs from Argentina, but it's definitely worth a second look.

Teutonic Tonic

2010-05-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

It was my first dance with Grüner Veltliner, that über-trendy white from Austria. You can hardly swing a cat around a restaurant wine list these days without running into a Grüner.
This one was a 2008 Grooner (I guess they didn't want Americans getting confused by an umlaut).
The things I loved? The cheeky label, the lightness of the wine (12 percent alcohol), the screw-top bottle, the reasonable price ($10), the lemony/leafy aroma, how much fun it is to say "Grüner." The things I did not love? The taste. It was just a little bland.
The label says, "If you like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio, you'll love Grooner." Which I found strange since those two wines, in my mind, share only whiteness in common. Where sauvignon actually has something to say, pinot grigio is like a wallflower at the party.
I'd be happy to try another Grüner; maybe I'll have better luck next time.

Half and Half

2010-05-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

The other day, a lady called from 67wine.com to make sure I knew I was ordering a half-bottle as part of a recent restocking o' the wine rack here on West 34th. I assured her that it was correct. Frankly, I don't know why stores don't sell more half-bottles. For one thing, they are cute. Also, maybe you're married to or living with someone who just doesn't like the wine you like. For example, I've seen Bobby drink exactly one glass of white wine, ever, and we'll be celebrating our eighth anniversary this summer. He's just a red wine kind of guy. So it would make sense for us to have more half-bottles in case our tastes diverge on a given night.
The half-bottle from 67wine was a 2007 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages. (After what I learned in wine class last year, it's usually worth it step up from a plain old Beaujolais to the better-quality Beaujolais-Villages.) I enjoyed this one for its plummy, smoky aroma. It's a light red (12.5 percent alcohol), and light on the wallet, too: $3.99. Let's hear it for the halves.

A Winning White

2010-05-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love guests who bring wine? A couple of weeks ago, we got a bottle of 2009 Domain Lafage Côté Est Catalan from our friends Ron and Wendy. We didn't get around to opening it that day, but I have been sipping it the past couple of nights. I got strong pear and floral notes from this one, and it had the slightest hint of effervescence. It's a medium-bodied and refreshing blend of grenache, chardonnay and marsanne grapes (13 percent alcohol, about $12). It made me think of pinot grigio, if pinot grigio had a better personality. (If pinot grigio is Dwight Schrute, the Côté Est is Jim Halpert.) Absolutely nothing to hate about this one.

Right at Home

2010-04-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

My friend Phyllis has been raving about Stonehome Wine Bar in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, for a while now, and on Thursday night I finally had a chance to go. What a lively joint! The interior seemed slightly Scandinavian, and the light was perfect -- soft and glowing, but not so low you can't read the menu. I loved the cantilevered end of the bar, where people can sit facing each other. The staff could not have been friendlier, and it's good people-watching, too: an artsy crowd, and men in fedoras, not ballcaps. How refreshing.
If you're in the mood to dabble, you're in luck at Stonehome, which serves flights of wine, in case you don't want to commit to a whole glass or bottle. I chose a set of Italian reds (three 3 oz. pours, $18). The first was a 2008 Corte Rugolin Valpolicello Classico (Veneto), which had notes of dried fruit and chalk, and had an absolutely silky mouthfeel. The second was a 2007 Poderi dal Nespoli Sangiovese (Romangna), which was all fruit and brightness. There was something a little gawky about this one, kind of like your embarrassing teenage years. Lastly was a 2007 Argiolas "Perdera" (Monica) Isola Del Nurahgi (Sardinia), which had notes of moss and was appealingly dry.
So what did we eat? I had a couple of appetizers: seared scallops and a crisp salad with apple slices and toasted pumpkin seeds. Phyllis ordered a selection of six cheeses (of course I sampled a few... all delicious.). The food is carefully chosen and prepared here, not an afterthought as it is at some other wine bars.
It was just the perfect setting to catch up with a friend I hadn't seen in a while.
(Photo from Citysearch)

Moonlighting

2010-04-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

People who know me know that I love a) movies and b) wine. A certain someone named Francis Ford Coppola seems to have hit the jackpot, what with his legendary films like, oh, The Godfather, and also his own winery in Geyersville, Calif.
Bobby picked up a bottle made by Mr. Coppola, the 2007 Rosso, a zinfandel/syrah/cabernet sauvignon blend (about $9, 13.5 percent alcohol). It had notes of plum and honey, but the tannic blast gave me a case of cottonmouth. The label notes that his family has always made wine, "everyday wines," so I can't imagine he means for you to store this one in the cellar to wait for the tannins to smooth themselves out. At least he's got that movie career to fall back on.

Not Quite

2010-03-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get a craving for a particular wine, and last night it was pinot noir. I suppose I was daydreaming of warmer weather (it barely got out of the 30s yesterday), and a lighter red to go with it. Bobby brought home a 2008 Cavit Pinot Noir (Trento, Italy), and while it was a pleasant wine, it did not exactly hit the bull's-eye. Of course it had the brightness and berry flavors you'd expect in a pinot noir, but this one had a slight bitterness that was off-putting. I liked the light texture, though, and the medium body (12 percent alcohol), but I think I'll keep looking for the pinot of my daydreams.

Bubbles and History

2010-03-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we settled in for Oscar Night, which is something of a holiday at our house. The broadcast had its moments but was one of the most tedious I can remember: I would have slashed the homage to horror movies, the dance number before the best score award and the memorial for John Hughes, not to mention the cringe-inducing testimonials before the actor/actress awards. That would have saved 40 minutes at least! But I was excited to see Kathryn Bigelow with her big win as the first female director, for "The Hurt Locker." She deserved it for her intense, gut-wrenching masterpiece.
We feasted on shrimp cocktail, sushi and crème caramel, and the Champagne was one of my old favorites, Piper-Heidsieck ($38). Too bad the bubbly ran out long before the show was over.

A Charming Chard

2010-03-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

Made French onion soup on Sunday night. No sherry in the house as the recipe requested, so I improvised with white wine, a 2007 Walnut Crest Chardonnay (Valle Central, Chile), and the soup turned out absolutely irresistible. Might have also been the thick layer of Gruyère, but who's counting?
So how was the wine in the glass? Drinking chardonnay reminds me of my relationship with coffee, which I started dabbling with in high school. I didn't love it at first but kept coming around to it in its different variations and eventually grew to love it. I can't say I love chardonnay yet, but it's trying to work its charms on me. This one had a clean, crisp scent of minerals and was light on the palate (no oak, 13 percent alcohol, about $10), with a neutral finish.
I could drink this again, and from me, that's high praise for a chard.

Spanish Simplicity

2010-02-28T11:43:00.000-08:00

Scott dropped by for tea late Friday afternoon, and later we turned to something a bit stronger: the 2008 Abrazo del Toro Tinto (80 percent garnacha and 20 percent tempranillo). It was overly bright at first, with a strong aroma of cherries; it definitely tasted young but not in an unpleasant way.
This was a bottle left behind by Laura, who said she stocked up at Trader Joe's, during last week's marathon of assembling wedding invitations. I think she said she paid $5.99 for it -- a great price for a nice, versatile wine. I haven't worked up the nerve to venture into the TJ's in Union Square because I've heard the crowds are epic. Also, everywhere else the store sells its famous Two Buck Chuck, which here is naturally Three Buck Chuck. As Cindy Adams says, "Only in New York."

A Pair of Reds

2010-02-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

Monday was Taco Night at the Armstrongs' and naturally I wanted something with a little spice. (I know "Mexican wine" exists although I have not had it -- yet; the phrase always makes me think of the great Fountains of Wayne song. Anyway, it seems to me that most of Mexico would be too hot to produce good wine.) The 2007 Faustino VII Rioja was a delicious match for our vegetarian tacos, and it is such a great deal at $10 from Union Square Wines & Spirits. A cozy winter night at home with our visitors, Jude and Betsy, and the Olympics and the Westminster Dog Show to flip between...

And on Wednesday, I met up with friends for dinner at one of my favorite Ninth Avenue spots, the Market Cafe. (The photo above is from their Web site.) The sea scallop appetizer is still a must-have for me, and I decided to keep it relatively light with a Caesar salad and a shared side of their addictive spiced fries. The wine list was a little funky -- they did not have several of their selections, and after I ordered a pinot noir (bottles are all $29), it was not the one on the menu. The 2008 Casa del Sole from Puglia had a mossy aroma, and was smooth and light on the palate (13 percent alcohol). I've always had good luck at the Market, but I wish they'd sort out the confusion in the wine department.

Inheritance

2010-01-18T17:34:00.000-08:00

The dead of winter and my thoughts turn toward a warming measure of port. We inherited a case of it after Bobby's Uncle Jimmy died almost eight years ago, and we still have a few bottles left. It's the 1985 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port, and I have loved every drop over the years. It's definitely the most expensive wine I drink on a regular basis (it retails for about $90 a bottle).
This wine wasn't exactly stored properly before we received it -- the corks must basically be shredded to get inside -- and then there is the straining and decanting. Every bottle has had a few tablespoons of sediment. But it's been delicious anyway, despite the abuse.
Here's one review of the wine from around the time I first tasted it:
Wine International, October 2003
Gold Medal – International Wine Challenge 2003
“At nearly 20 years old, this Smith Woodhouse’85 still has plenty of life in it. It still has masses of ripe berries and ‘fruits confits,’ as a French judge put it, as well as maturing caramel and burnt sugar flavors. It is stunningly complex and has huge length.”
I think it's only improved since then.

Red Bubbles

2009-12-31T19:53:00.000-08:00

Wow, we're only about an hour from ringing in 2010. I have tasted a lot of interesting wines this year, and my last one for 2009 was the 2008 Paringa Sparkling Shiraz. I am a fan of Australian shiraz but I had never tried the bubbly version.
This one had a pleasing tartness and pretty mellow tannins for such a young red, but it didn't seem to hold its effervescence for long. At $11.99, a great deal for any decent sparkling wine in my book, it was an amiable match with tonight's dinner of homemade caramelized onion pizza with parmigiano reggiano.
Here's to a new year of adventures and delicious wine!

Two Italians

2009-12-26T20:04:00.000-08:00

Our friend Krista, on her way from London, made it through the terrible storm in the Northeast and landed in New York last weekend. She was stopping by for a drink before dinner, and alas, the only red wine in the house was the 2004 Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva we've been saving (a gift from my sister, who got it directly from one of the Antinori daughters, who is a neighbor of hers). It retails for around $28. Well, it was time to pop that cork. I had sampled another vintage of this wine in class last spring and had a similar verdict on this one: It had a very intense red fruit aroma, and was slightly tight and tannic at the start. But it softened after about 20 minutes. As Kevin Zraly said, "This wine cries out for food," so we dived into some parmigiano reggiano with crackers. (Cue contented sigh.)
We set out for Taboon, a Hell's Kitchen restaurant we love at 10th Avenue and 52nd. It's a pan-Mediterranean menu, and they have an adventurous wine list, with several bottles from Israel, Lebanon and Greece. I decided to order an Italian wine I was unfamiliar with: the 2005 Mandrolisai Bovale - Cannonau (Sardinia), at $44. As far as I can recall, the bovale and cannonau grapes were entirely new to me. The wine had notes of spice and leather and was bright and zingy in the glass -- very different from the wine we started out with.
So glad to make a new friend! The wine paired comfortably with the tzaziki and bread (one of most scrumptious loaves in New York City, made in the taboon, or clay oven), fig and pear salad, falafel and chocolate lava cake. What would the holiday season be without a little -- or a lot of -- indulgence?

Photo of the taboon from New York magazine

A Wallflower

2009-12-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been loving The Manganaro Italian Family Cookbook, which I picked up last year at their old-school market here in Hell's Kitchen. (They make the best fresh mozz.)
So on Thursday, a bitter, howling-wind kind of night, we dreamed of Italy with garlic scallops with sun-dried tomatoes and capers, and asparagus with pine nuts and garlic. That's right, at least a dozen cloves of garlic in this dinner; vampires beware. Also, this meal served to satisfy my burgeoning pine nut addiction.
Italian food deserves Italian wine, right? So I picked up the 2006 La Carraia Sangiovese from Umbria ($12.99 at Grace Wine & Spirits on Tenth Avenue). While the wine had a slightly musty-in-a-pleasant-way aroma, it otherwise just did not make much of an impression on me. Sangiovese has high acidity and usually a bit of spice, which I thought would stand up nicely against all the strong flavors, but this one was rather flat and bland.
Can't win 'em all.

Tivo and a Tipple

2009-12-02T14:55:00.000-08:00

After a rough day at the office -- and I've had a few of those lately -- a little decompressing time is in order. My new favorite time-waster on TV is "Clean House" on the Style network, and last night my show went famously with a glass of 2006 Jean-Luc Colombo Les Abeilles Côtes du Rhône ($11). This wine had an aroma that reminded me of rain (the fresh, country kind, not the kind that washes the stench off Eighth Avenue), and while it was slightly bright and tannic at the start, it opened up nicely.
On "Clean House," a home makeover show, the hosts pry clutter away from various nutty families (some of them are literally living in a landfill with a roof), and then redecorate. I realized why this show has struck a chord with me: It's editing -- on a certain level, a lot like what I do all day. There is something comforting about trying to impose order on chaos. Even better with a little Côtes du Rhône.

Vin Rouge, Vin Blanc

2009-11-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

I subscribe to an email newsletter called My Little Paris, a once-a-week missive about happenings in the City of Light. (Who doesn't need a little escapism these days?) I was intrigued by the one I received this week (see below), because I thought that picking the right wine was just part of a French person's DNA. Apparently they need help, too! It's kind of a relief to know that they don't necessarily know everything. Maybe they're just better at faking it.

Wine tasting 101
November 26, 2009
Why they always ask you to taste the wine, you have no idea. Every single guest at the table is staring at you, waiting for you to take a sip. Can’t they tell that you are completely clueless when it comes to wine? You take a shot : “it’s perfect, thank you”. And then you pray to Dionysus, the god of wine, that it is indeed at least drinkable.
This is not a nightmare, it happens to the best of us. And thanks to Joël, it won’t happen again. Built like a rugby player, he shows up in the middle of your dinner party at home and teaches you the ultimate French skill: wine tasting. For Joël, it’s all about plaisir. From his mysterious briefcase, he extracts tiny aroma bottles that he gently slips under your ignorant nostrils. Delightful fleeting sensations appear on the tip of your tongue. The lesson begins. A sweet buttery flavor in your mouth? A Chardonnay from Bourgogne. The smell of honey, honeysuckle and acacia? A great Chablis. Enough inhaling, let’s move on to the serious stuff. Tasting. Cold cuts and selected wines from small producers from all over France.
You now have a real nose for wine.

Joël:00-33-6-13-17-45-58
Association Terra Vitis
Price : from 30 to 60€ per guest depending on the number of participants and the number of wines that you wish to taste

Film Plus Feast

2009-11-11T17:08:00.000-08:00

Bobby and I met up with our newly unemployed friend Patrick the other night. First we saw "A Serious Man," the latest from the Coens. It is seriously worth seeing: a vivid story, economically told, with great dialogue and an amazing ending.

Afterward we dropped in at one of our favorite Hell's Kitchen spots, Five Napkin Burger. That eponymous dish has become Bobby's No. 1 burger in the city, even beyond Peter Luger's. Patrick and I both got the veggie burger, which I've had on several occasions. It is huge and tasty; FNB always has the ripest tomatoes, even in the winter -- a rarity in these parts. The burger itself has little structural integrity (I have been known to describe it as "fall-y apart-y" -- they're not kidding about the five napkins), but it is extremely satisfying. The fries are crisp perfection, too.

So what did we drink? I ordered a 2005 Zuccardi Tempranillo (Mendoza, Argentina) that had a note of raspberry and a slightly smoky quality. It was well-balanced and full-bodied (14 percent alcohol). And, at $38, not bad for Midtown.

Wine Rules

2009-10-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

I had an amusing email exchange with my sister the other day regarding the proper season for certain wines.
Her: Is it wrong to drink rosé wine in winter?
Me: I don't think wine should have rules. Anyway, it's not winter yet!
Her: I had a darn fine dry Spanish rosé tonight at Arline's. It was up
there with this one, which is my fave rosé:
http://www.erobertparker.com/newSearch/pTextSearch.aspx?wine=Chateau%20Grande%20Cassagne%20Rose%20Costieres%20de%20Nimes

It reminded me of Kevin Zraly's strict rules for drinking port, in which you must be sitting in a big, comfy chair by a crackling fireplace, with snowflakes falling outside the window of your country home and your golden retriever at your feet. I just thought, heck, I would never have the chance to enjoy port if I followed his rules since I have no fireplace, dog or country home. I think people should just follow their fancy and drink whatever they feel like having at the moment. Sometimes, that boils down to whatever's in the wine rack.

Paris Style

2009-10-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

Bobby had been wanting to check out the new steak frites place on the East Side, Le Relais de Venise, at 52nd and Lexington. So we went last week with a big group (eight of us strolled right in and sat down at 9:30 on a Wednesday night).
It's an outpost of the original location in Paris, and it's a pretty simple formula. They serve everyone the same salad (greens with a dijon dressing, topped with walnuts), then steak and fries. Dessert and wine are separate, but the main meal is $24 a person, which isn't bad for Manhattan. For me, the only non-meat-eater, there was an extra salad and a cheese plate.
We ordered a red and a white for the table: a 2003 Vincent Lataste Bordeaux Blend 55 (55 percent merlot and 55 percent cabernet sauvignon); this girlish red had notes of apple, and it was a hit around the table. The other bottle was a 2008 Château Caillou du Haut, a white Bordeaux (100 percent sauvignon blanc), which was slightly flowery but had a nice zing. Both were extreme bargains, under $25.
My summary judgment: The food was good, not great; the wine was what it should be, an enjoyable accompaniment to the meal; and the waitress was a crackup, a bossy young thing with a look that shouted Madonna circa 1986 (bleached hair, dark eyebrows). Don't ask for ketchup or she will smack you down.

Soho Crush

2009-09-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

It was my first visit to City Winery in Soho.
It was a chance to have a small part in winemaking.
It was me, paying $50, for the privilege of doing some manual labor on Sunday afternoon (only in New York!). Of course, my parting gift was a bottle of their Downtown White (chardonnay with some muscat, light and pleasant, thankfully unoaked), and next year, a bottle of the wine from the grapes that came through that day.
We were a group of about 20 people helping to process two-and-a-half tons of pinot noir grapes from California. I worked for a couple of hours, loading grapes into the sorting machine and removing debris at the sorting table. It was a bit dizzying, so many grapes (they're pretty small, the size of blueberries), but we finished processing the whole shipment. The grapes were not actually crushed that day; the winemaker, David Lecomte (right), says they sit in the maceration tank for a number of weeks before crushing. The winery was also processing two-and-a-half tons of zinfandel grapes later that day, so they're pretty busy this time of year.

Loading the clusters into the sorting machine.

The sorting table, a popular spot.

The conveyor belt to the maceration tank.

Emile pours excess juice from the sorting table into the tank.

Grapes in the tank, soon to be a liquid delight, we hope.

I take a load off in the City Winery restaurant. A tiring but exhilarating afternoon!

Two on 21st

2009-09-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

I love summer, but when it's over I get to see a lot more of Laura, who finally stays home on a weekend once in a while. Hanging out at her place in Chelsea, we had great thin-crust pizza from Waldy's last weekend, along with a rosé she's fond of, the 2008 Chateau Montaud Cotes de Provence. It was light pink, with a scent of pear and a minerally finish (12 percent alcohol). A great value: $11.99.
And last night was another girls' night in Chelsea -- we finally went to see The September Issue (fascinating for us media types, although Anna Wintour scares the bejesus out of me) -- and a veggie-packed dinner at her apartment: shaved zucchini salad with olive oil and parmesan; tomato salad with goat cheese; veggie burgers; and corn on the cob. She opened a 2007 Mark West pinot noir (Central Coast, California); it had medium body (13.8%) and contained notes of straw, tobacco and black cherry ($9.99). A very friendly wine.

Message From the Guru

2009-09-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

I got the following e-mail today from my wine guy, Kevin Zraly. I'm telling you, if you have the slightest inclination to take his course, do it *now* ... as he said during the spring term, he is teaching it only five more semesters. It's expensive but worth every penny.

Dear Wine Students,

I hope you are all doing well and drinking only great wines!! Looking forward to the fall, below is the list of latest events and information.

Upcoming Events:

Windows on the World Wine School

Mondays, October 5 through November 23, 2009 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel

As alumni, you can attend any class at the discounted rate of $100 per class.

Don’t forget to tell your wine friends. Please have them visit our website at www.kevinzraly.com

or call the office at 845-255-1456 for the full fall class schedule.

Saratoga Food and Wine Festival – September 12 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga, NY. I will be the auctioneer on Friday night and Saturday and also presenting my One Hour Italian Wine Expert on Saturday. Please visit www.spac.org for more information and to purchase tickets to the event.

New York City Wine & Food Festival – October 10 at the Javits Center in New York City.

This is a great refresher for alumni and a great opportunity for friends to have a mini Wine School experience.

One Hour Wine Expert hosted by Kevin Zraly
Hours: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Price: $85

For more information, visit http://www.nycwineandfoodfestival.com/2009/

Sante Restaurant Symposium - This year at the Sagamore, Bolton Landing, NY. I will be the keynote speaker on Tuesday, October 20. For more information visit their website at http://www.isantemagazine.com/symposium.html

WineFuture 2009 - November 10-12, I will be a featured speaker along with Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson, and Oz Clarke in Rioja, Spain. Visit www.winefuture.es for more information.

Holiday Ideas:

The 25th anniversary edition of the Windows on the World Complete Wine Course book will be available this fall. Over the past year I have visited 15 countries and over 100 wine regions to update the 25^th anniversary edition of the Windows on the World Complete Wine Course. Retail price is $27.95; alumni discount is $22.00.

NEW - The Wine Journal, Kevin's latest book, has a 64-page introductory section includes details on wine basics, tasting, and buying; Vintage Best Bets from the top wine regions in the world; and Frequently Asked Questions About Wine. The actual journal contains a fill-in area for jotting down tasting notes and for saving your favorite wine labels. Retails for $14.95; alumni discount is $12.00.

NEW - Kevin Zraly's line of wine charms ($18.95), wine stopper ($9.95), and corkscrew ($12.95) will be available.

In the Press:

Delish.com - look for Kevin's videos, quizzes, and food and wine combinations under Recipes & Menus then Essential Wine Guide for more information.

The Tennis Channel during the US Open will be featuring a segment with Andrea Robinson. Kevin is featured in her interview.

I look forward to seeing you!

Kevin

Kevin Zraly
Wine Services International
P.O. Box 847

New Paltz, New York 12561
(845) 255-1456
FAX: (845) 255-2041
kevin@kevinzraly.com

www.kevinzraly.com

Call Me Zelda

2009-08-27T18:27:00.001-07:00

A long weekend in the Hamptons with Laura has become a summer ritual for me. I know, "the Hamptons" -- but really, it's pretty laid back. Mostly.
Some highlights from last weekend included seeing a rainbow and a deranged high tide at Atlantic Beach (side effects from Hurricane Bill) on Saturday; touring the house in Amagansett that Laura and Jonathan are buying (!); attending my first polo match, above, in Bridgehampton (no one watches the action -- they're all at the bar at the back of the big tent); and having dinner with our friend Noel in Hampton Bays.
For dinner, Laura and I brought over a saucy little rosé, the 2008 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence ($11). The aroma had notes of pear and cucumber, and I noticed a slight effervescence; and of course, I love the ease of the screw-top. Noel cooked everything at the grill and it was fantastic: clams with a shallot-lemon-garlic sauce, asparagus and halibut. Cherry pie from the farm stand topped off a very chill poolside evening.

Georgia (the Other One)

2009-08-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

We had a potluck at the office this week, and one highlight was some wine from Georgia, brought as a gift recently by some editors from Tbilisi.
This was a Saperavi red dry wine produced and bottled in the Kakheti region of Georgia. (I found this adorable slide show about the area on YouTube. Apparently, Georgia has been making wine for centuries.) The Saperavi grape is used throughout the country, according to Wikipedia, and Saperavi means "paint" or "dye" owing to its dark color.
So the wine was nearly opaque, with an aroma of raisins, no vintage listed but obviously young. I found it well-balanced (12 percent alcohol), and pleasant but not a show-stopper. It was, however, not universally liked. Scott adulterated his with crushed fresh rasbperries and said, "The more you drink the better it gets."
I love reading labels, but I think something was lost in translation: It described the wine as having 'a sorted aroma and a pleasant acerbity.'
But this was my first experience with Georgian wine, and I definitely look forward to more.

New York-esota

2009-07-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

Bobby and I had something like a Minneapolitan evening in New York (minus the traffic on 35W) on Monday, starting with dinner at the New French in the West Village. I was a huge fan of of the New French Cafe in the Warehouse District, which closed in 2001 (right after I moved to New York. Coincidence?).
The new New French, open since early 2008, is apparently named after the Minneapolis one, minus the "Cafe," but not run by the same people. The verdict on the wine we chose: one hit, one miss. The 2007 Pumphouse Red (North Fork), $9, was bracingly acidic, sort of like a Goth teenager. But the 2007 Nero D'Avola (Nausica), $10, can best be described as red velvet in a glass. I had the New French salad (romaine, radicchio, pear, gruyere, celery, carrots and beets in red wine/pear vinaigrette), served in a dish approaching mixing bowl-sized -- so huge I couldn't finish it. And the fries were excellent, crispy, grease-free and not overly salty. (FYI: This photo is from the Web site of the defunct New York Sun.)
Our entertainment for the evening was the Minneapolis hip-hop group Atmosphere at Webster Hall -- a sweaty, 16-plus, sold-out show. The music was great, and we were additionally entertained by the dozen or so ejections by a large guard of various teenagers for what I must assume was underage drinking (and one attempted cigarette smoking right in front of us). Come on, kids, if you're going to be bad, it's best to go stealth.

Out of the Cabinet

2009-07-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

Well, it's not always wine, wine, wine around here. I was rearranging some kitchen cabinets yesterday and ran across a bottle of Mathilde Cassis Liqueur and spotted a recipe on the back of the bottle for the Purple Rain (hmm, I wonder: What Would Prince Drink?): 1 ounce cassis liqueur, 2 ounces rum, 2 ounces pineapple juice; mix and serve over ice.
I think the cassis must have been brought over by Scott, who's always making some foufy drink or another. (I have only had it in a kir.)
Anyway, I used some rum our friend Luke brought back from Haiti last year. It was a refreshing, slightly tropical cocktail, not as sweet as I was expecting.
Too bad that was the end of the rum.

Birthday Barbera, and Bubbly

2009-07-20T18:07:00.000-07:00

Down on Eighth Street in the Village, Otto, one of our favorite Italian restaurants, was the destination for my birthday celebration last week. Bobby and I started with dishes of marinated figs and roasted peppers, then moved on to the addictive thin-crust pizza. I have daydreams about the pane frattau: tomato with pecorino and a fried egg on top. It sounds kind of gross, I know, but it is divine; a simple, savory pie that keeps me coming back (although I have tried making it at home. It turned out OK.). The well-edited wine list produced a 2006 Oddero Barbera d'Alba (Piedmont), a bright, slightly spicy quartino ($12). And while I was indulging, there was gelato: I had a trio of salty caramel, dark chocolate and peppermint chocolate chip. ... And I'm still enjoying it, just thinking about it.

The next night, Laura, Tammy, Scott and I were due for a pilgrimage to the last outpost of Miracle Grill in Brooklyn. We kicked off the evening at Laura's place with Nicolas Feuillate Rosé Champagne, a perky, deep-pink bubbly that went down easy. A quick cab ride to Brooklyn, to our destination in Park Slope ... but I was only about two tortilla chips in when, unfortunately, the evening had to be cut short since I seem to have had a case of food poisoning from my late lunch (I think it was the broccoli). Well! A quick return trip to Manhattan, and an early night to bed for me. I think we will pick up the celebration where we left off ... soon, I hope.

Red, White but No Blue

2009-07-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

For the Fourth of July I suppose we should have had only American wines, but it just didn't turn out that way. I bought a 2005 Montecillo Crianza Rioja ($12.99); the winery was founded in Spain in 1874, 382 years after Columbus came to the New World, so there's your American connection. Anyway, I found the wine bright and uncomplicated -- I've had better riojas.
Next was the 2005 Catena Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendoza, Argentina), which had aromas of red berries, moss, maybe a little smoky quality. It was slightly tannic but the fruit hangs in nicely. A winner (and a gift from my newly engaged brother. Thanks, Tom!). (About $17.)
Last was a 2007 Mirassou Chardonnay (California), with a minerally scent and a note of cucumber; very fresh-tasting with a hint of pear. Not at all oaky, a flavor category I have grown to dislike. Might as well gnaw on toothpicks. ($10.99.)

A Cabernet Disappoints

2009-07-03T19:40:00.000-07:00

Laura dropped by for dinner the other night; I was craving a brie-and-fig panini I had at this amazing Italian cafe/market in Philadelphia a few years ago, so I whipped them up on my cast-iron grill (no room for a panini press in my kitchen!).
We also had steamed fresh green beans with a splash of lemon, and for dessert, in honor of Wimbledon, I made fresh whipped cream to go with strawberries (which make themselves).
I had picked up a 2005 Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon (Colchagua, Chile) earlier that day, and while it wasn't terrible, I found a little too jammy and cloying for my taste.
It was $9.99 at the DeLauren wine shop on Eighth Avenue in Chelsea, and now I recall Kevin Zraly saying the best Chilean cabernets are really in the $15 to $25 range. I wish I listened...

Tiny Bubbles

2009-06-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

Is there anything better than drinks at work on a Saturday afternoon?

We are an office that occasionally indulges (it all started with Derby Day mint juleps a few years back...), and it's a nice, um, team-building exercise.

Today it was a celebration of summer (as well as still being employed), and the indulgence was Collalbrigo Brut, a snappy prosecco from Conegliano, Italy (about $11, 11 percent alcohol). I got a pleasant yeasty aroma, and tasted notes of pear in this one. (Thanks, Jesse!) He even brought strawberries, the perfect pairing.

I just love the sound of a cork popping in the office.

From the Vineyard to My Lips

2009-06-20T19:03:00.001-07:00

A tasty souvenir from Laura's recent trip to California was a bottle of the 2005 Consilience Falcone Vineyard Syrah (Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County), $38.
Actually, a few bottles, since she liked the wine so much she signed up for regular shipments after her visit to the vineyard!
This was a very full-bodied wine (15.2 percent alcohol), with notes of black pepper and something approaching chalky/powdery (in a good way), and a thick texture in the glass.
It was just the companion for an evening of girl talk about engagements, babies, house-hunting and other assorted topics.
I think I may have to play Let's Make a Deal with her when her next batch arrives. Got to get another taste of this one.

Hanging in the 'Hood

2009-06-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

Last night we got together with some Minnesota friends at one of our favorite wine bars in Hell's Kitchen (I will never call it "Clinton"): Riposo 46, on Ninth Avenue at 46th Street. It's a tiny scrap of real estate (three tables, maybe a dozen seats at the bar), but always top fun. Bobby and I both enjoyed the 2005 Marques de la Concordia Rioja Crianza, an engaging, snappy little red. It was $10 a glass, but a pretty healthy pour. I love that their bottles are reasonably priced for Midtown -- their featured wines are mostly $30-50.
The menu is simple but fulfilling: I had the goat cheese flatbread with rosemary and lemon zest (it was better a few other times I've had it, but I was so hungry I devoured it). Next time I'm not sure I will be able to resist their hypnotic cheese plate.

East Side Eats

2009-06-04T19:25:00.001-07:00

For Jane's bon voyage dinner the night before she returned to Minneapolis last week, we ate at Felidia on East 58th, which has quickly become one of our favorite Italian restaurants. (We love that delightful bartender, Patrick Joy!) ... Trying to pace ourselves, Jane and I shared the lemon garlic shrimp appetizer, and at first bite, I wished I had ordered my own. I could eat a feedbag of that creamy deliciousness. I also had their signature pasta dish, the pecorino and pear ravioli, which never disappoints.
On the wine front, I ordered a 2006 Barbera d'Alba Brunate, which I found rich and earthy ($48).
My only lament is that we can't eat there more often ($!). Unless we took out a second mortgage.

Shock and Flaw

2009-05-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

I had been wanting to see "Bottle Shock" since Kevin Zraly mentioned it in wine class a few months ago. The movie is the "based on the true story" of Chateau Montelena in Napa beating the French in a blind tasting for the best white in Paris back in 1976. Bill Pullman plays Jim Barrett, the winning vintner, and the rest of the cast is name-brand: Alan Rickman, Freddy Rodriguez, Eliza Dushku, Chris Pine (before his star turn in "Star Trek," of course). I wish I could say I liked it, but the script was just so clunky and predictable. Maybe they were dumbing down a wine movie for the masses, but I was expecting something a little more sophisticated. "Bottle Shock" was at Sundance in 2008, and then seemingly went straight to DVD. This movie wasn't about the grape; it was pure corn.

Neighborly in New York

2009-05-25T13:09:00.001-07:00

As a New Yorker for the past eight years, I can ignore almost anything except a) people talking at the movies and b) the howling baby on the plane in the row behind me. Which is why it's so surprising to me that people are flocking to restaurants like Co. in Chelsea, which has communal dining tables, and talking to their neighbors. Usually we like to observe our fellow diners but never actually interact with them. But that's exactly what Bobby, Jane and I did a few nights ago: We spoke to our Italian/English-speaking neighbors to my right, and a cute young couple from the neighborhood on my left -- we even shared pizza with them! (That's Jane talking to them, above.)
The name is a little baffling; I keep referring to it as "Koh," but I have read that it's pronounced "Company." They have done a great job renovating a space that used to be a dumpy little corner bakery, into a refined room with lots of wood and soft lighting. The food, the wine and the service were spot-on. I started with a cup of the savory Tuscan bread soup, and Bobby, Jane and I shared the pizza bianca (flatbread with sea salt and olive oil, served with fresh ricotta), and I had the pizza margherita. Jane and I both sipped the Artazuri Rosado 2008 Bodega Artazu from Navarra, Spain ($9), a juicy, semi-dry rosé. Bobby had both the 2006 Falset (Monstant, Spain) for $9, a lighter red he described as "fine" ... and later a peppery Syrah 'Tous les Jours' 2006 (Andrew Murray Vineyards, Central Coast, California), also $9.
And I couldn't resist a scoop of praline gelato to top it off.

A Toast to Jane

2009-05-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

Jane Armstrong lands in New York for her annual visit. Naturally, a cork must be popped; in this case a flute or two of Pommery n.v. before dinner in the neighborhood. This is one of my go-to types of bubbly, always crisp and refreshing. You can just never go wrong with the lighter-to-medium bodied Champagnes. (Well, actually, you can go wrong -- ask me the day after the Oscars every year. Oy.)

Think Pink

2009-05-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

Last night was a fun evening of girl talk, sushi and rosé while helping Laura pack for her vacation to Cambodia. The wine was a 2007 L'Estandon Côtes de Provence, which was an appealing salmon pink in color and had notes of citrus. ($11.99). (L'Estandon's Web site says it's "Provence's oldest brand" so hopefully they know what they're doing.) Anyway, it went well with the sushi... and the gossip!

The rosé reminded me that I've been meaning to write about A Year in Provence, which I finished reading a few weeks ago. It was a pleasant enough diversion, but I failed to see why it was such a blockbuster. It seemed winkingly filled with stereotypes, drunken driving and tax evasion, and I had more than I could stomach concerning Peter Mayle's godforsaken home renovations. And enough about the weather! I guess it's an English thing. Loved the goat races, though.

Family Dinner

2009-05-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

Last week I revisited 112, a restaurant in the warehouse district of Minneapolis. They've expanded since I last ate there; the new upstairs dining room is softly lighted and welcoming but a bit loud when the place is full. So what did we drink?
To start, Bud picked the 2007 Picpoul de Pinet, Domaine Reine Juliette (Languedoc, France), which was refreshing and slightly effervescent. ($20). Bud said he drank this on a summer trip to Provence, and I can see why. Next I selected the 2005 Vacqueyras, "La Graelière," Pierre Amadieu (Rhone, France), which was plush but a bit "closed-in" at first; it opened up enticingly as we got further into the bottle. ($42). To finish, Bud ordered the 2006 Minervois, Chateau d'Oupia (France), an extremely friendly blend -- I read later that it's 60 percent carignan, 30 percent syrah and 10 percent grenache -- and a great value at $24.
I had a delicious romaine/roquefort salad; the banana cream tart for dessert was a miss (not enough banana!). Next time I could stuff myself on the goodies they bring to the table automatically: addictive spicy nuts and green olives. And of course, something new from the well-organized and accessible wine list.

Snob Review

2009-04-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

Somehow I came to own a copy of "The Wine Snob's Dictionary" (2008) by David Kamp and David Lynch. It's the kind of book you could read if you were waiting in a long check-out line. Some of the entries are kind of funny, though. A couple of examples:
Grip: Sensation ascribed to a wine with enough acidity and/or tannin that it seems to actually grab hold of the palate. Considered a good thing by Snobs. The '75 had powerhouse tannins and a marvelous grip at first, but it lost its resolve as it got more air.

Juice: Grating hipster term for wine, used especially in the San Francisco Bay Area, where younger, ostensibly hipper Snobs in the wine trade think that, by referring to wine as such, they are demystifying it for a grateful audience of Francophobes and reg'lar folk who will feel less intimidated if they think of wine as fermented grape juice. Except the very deployment of such insiderist terms serves only to intimidate civilians all over again.

... I love new words and slang as much as anyone, but I feel the need to keep this book around so I know which terms to avoid.

Recent Reds

2009-04-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

A few bottles we had over the last couple of weeks ...

2007 Alfasi Reserve Malbec-Syrah (Chile): Quite plummy; I really liked this 50/50 malbec-syrah blend; that malbec grape really lightened things up.
2007 Lisabella Pinot Noir (Italy): Bright and young, adequate, and best of all, $5.99 at Manhattan Plaza Wine & Spirits.
2005 Chateau Prignac (Mèdoc, Bordeaux): Earthy and warming, paired well with our vegetable risotto the other night.

So I continued to drink red despite the 90-degree heat wave over the weekend. I suppose you could call it denial, but I am just not ready to switch to rosé or white, or for that matter, turn on the air conditioning in April, for crying out loud.

Green Wine

2009-04-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

It's a rainy day in New York -- we seem stuck in that season where decent weather is limited to one day at a time -- but nevertheless still Earth Day.
Of course we recycle our wine bottles, but I am always on the hunt for other ways to make wine a more earth-friendly pursuit. I have tried some of the "bag-in-box" wines, specifically the French Rabbit pinot noir, which I recall as pretty good but not spectacular. I am still working on my "good wine comes in a proper bottle" prejudice, I suppose.
One bottle caught my eye over the weekend, though: a 2006 Carmen Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipo Valley in Chile, which came with tag around its neck declaring "Now our bottles are 15% lighter." This was a luscious cab with notes of plum and cherries, and it went down well with the goat cheese/roasted red pepper/roasted garlic quesadillas on the grill the other night. We love the screw-top bottle, too, and the price: it was around $10 at my wine shop on Ninth Avenue.
Does a 15-percent-lighter bottle make up for the fact that the wine comes all the way from Chile? I wonder about the tradeoff. I am always glad to support winemakers in Latin America, though, as well as other developing areas.

Wine Watcher

2009-04-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

I just finished "Understanding Wine: The Travelling Gourmet," a set of four TV programs bundled into one documentary hosted by the wine expert Jancis Robinson (1 hour 40 minutes, on Netflix). She gives a lot of good basic information and travels to several beautiful regions: Penedès in Spain, Alsace, Tuscany and Australia, among others. Try to not to be distracted by her saucer-sized red eyeglasses -- all I could think of was Sally Jessy Raphael, right (this was the BBC circa 1998, but it looked like 10 years earlier); Jancis really is quite entertaining with her dry British wit.
One highlight was the "meet the winemaker" aspect: She interviews people with last names like Trimbach, Mondavi and Antinori, and I always enjoy putting a face with a name, and in these cases, a bottle.
Another memorable section was the tour of vineyards in England; they are mostly too wet to make great wine -- but that's changing. One vintner was looking on the bright side of global warming "in the next 20 years" or so, when he predicted that places like Bordeaux and California will simply be too hot for winemaking. Climate change is in the headlines all the time, in a kind of abstract way, but his viewpoint made it horrifyingly concrete to me. Of course, he was right on: If the planet is getting warmer, winemaking will inevitably wither in some traditional places and flourish in new ones.

I'm a Graduate!

2009-04-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

The Windows on the World wine class has been a highlight of my eight-plus years in New York. Zraly, left, said he will close the school after the 10th anniversary of 9/11, so that means only five more semesters. I learned so much -- I'm so glad I had the chance to attend!

The Final Test and Champagnes and Port

2009-04-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

Eight weeks of wine school, suddenly finished. The final class was a bit of a blur: a blind tasting exam, then six sparkling wines and three ports. I got only three out of four in the blind tasting, and I even studied! (These were all wines we sampled in class.) I guess I will just have to keep on learning.

Sparkling Wines

Cristalino Cava Brut (Spain): Few bubbles, low foam, aroma of pear; high acidity to start, an an easy, crisp, basic sparkler. Zraly is a big fan of this one ("one of the best bottle-fermented wines"), and its price: $10. Great for mimosas.
Roederer Estate Brut n.v. (Anderson Valley, California): Mineral/biscuit bouquet; notes of anise and green apple; a nice balance of fruit, acidity and carbon dioxide. $30.
Domaine Carneros Brut 2005 (Napa/Carneros, California): Very pale and bubbly, fresh scent; fuller body than the previous wine, lower acid, a yeasty finish.
Taittinger Brut La Francaise (France): Toasty aroma; mousse-y start, balanced, a slightly tart end. My favorite. $40.
Veuve Cliquot Brut n.v. (France): I felt I already knew this wine (thanks, Laura!) since I have had it so many times; it's a lower acidity, fuller-body style wine, with a mild, balanced finish. $40.
Blind, from France, Italy or the U.S.A.: It was a wine with very few bubbles and not much aroma; a hint of oak in the tasting. My classmates and I were puzzled; was it prosecco? Zraly tricked us with jug wine before, was he giving us Korbel or some other cheapie? I said maybe California, not French and definitely not real Champagne. Well, shut my mouth. It was a 1999 Dom Perignon. $165. (!) Zraly say he did this to show that more money does not give you better Champagne. Stick to the non-vintage types from good producers -- the ultraexpensive stuff usually just isn't worth it.

Port

Ruby: W.& J. Graham's: A light ruby, heady aroma; sweet and intense but balanced; the alcohol did not overwhelm. $15.
Tawny: Fonseca 10 Year Old: Orange cast; sticky, walnutty bouquet; more acidity than the ruby, lower sweetness. $28.
Vintage: Cockburn's 2000: Dark red, very leggy; notes of plum; smooth with some tannin. Delicious (I finished it). $75.

Divine Crackers

2009-04-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

For class this week, we were encouraged to bring food -- strawberries, chocolate, cheese or other delights -- things to go with Champagne or port, our final subjects. Naturally I thought of these parmesan crackers, which I have made on many occasions after reading about them in The Times a few years back. They are my favorite snack with wine, and I always double this recipe (and force myself to give some away). God only knows why I wasn't born Italian.

PARMESAN CRACKERS

Adapted from Marily Mustilli

Time: 20 minutes plus 2 hours' chilling

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

1. In a food processor, combine ingredients, and pulse until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, and form it into a log 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

2. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two baking sheets. Cut log into 1/4-inch-thick crackers, and place them an inch apart on sheets. Bake until firm, about 12 to 13 minutes. Remove baking sheets from oven, and raise temperature to 500 degrees. When temperature comes up to correct heat, return sheets to oven, and bake for 3 minutes more, or until crackers are deeply golden brown all over. Let cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 40 crackers.

The Red Wines of Spain and Italy

2009-04-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

Ten reds from two countries, then another bonus tasting after class, this time from the Australian wine commission. I learned that some Italian reds (Barbaresco, Brunello) are expensive because they are produced in such small quantities. My impressions:

Marqués de Cáceres 2005 (Rioja-Crianza): A fresh, soft, light fruit aroma; high acid to begin, a jelly-like flavor, soft tannin but ultimately nothing special. Zraly calls this a "user-friendly" wine to have with fish. $13.
Conde de Valdemar 2003 (Rioja-Reserva): Spice/pepper/raisin bouquet giving off strong alcohol; a good acid/tannin balance, developing into a tightly woven, intense taste; at the end, oaky tannins and low fruit. "Needs more aging." $23.
CUNE Vina Real 1995 (Rioja-Gran Reserva): Scents of blackberry, plum, flint; a bright start, fresh-tasting, winding down to mild, soft fruit and a dewy finish. My favorite of the class. $$$ Collector's item. (Sigh.)
Chianti Classico Riserva 2003, Marchese Antinori (Tuscany): Fresh but "slightly closed" bouquet; high acid, a bit drying on the back of the throat, tangy. This wine is "crying out for food," Zraly says; so he passed out small servings of parmigiano-reggiano. When tasted after cheese, this wine is smoothed of its "rough edges." (He's a huge fan of the producer: "You can't get better than an Antinori in worldwide status" in the wine world, Zraly says.) $25.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2005 Avignonesi (Tuscany): Sweet swell, a "kiss of oak," flowery; acidic and a bit austere. Avignonesi is a "top producer" in Tuscany. $28, a good value.
Brunello di Montalcino 1997, Castello Banfi (Tuscany): Slightly sulfurous, "oxidized" aroma (not uncommon in wine with some age); sharp at the start but mellows to a soft end. (This producer owns the Riunite brand, which may have been my first experience with Italian wine.) Zraly says this is "at its peak"; this wine confused me. $100 and up/hard to find.
Barbera d'Asti 2006, Michele Chiarlo (Piedmont): Full bouquet, notes of red cherry; slightly spicy, peppery, intense, but slips down to a velvety finish. A Beaujolais-style wine, and my second favorite that night. $14, a great value.
Barbaresco 2001, Vietti (Piedmont): Woody, high alcohol aroma, a hint of roses; high tannin and acid to start, "too much of everything," then drops to an astringent end. Overpowering. Zraly says wine from the nebbiolo grape is an exception to the color rule for reds ("if you can see through it, it's ready to drink"); you can see through this one, but it needs more age. $125.
Barolo 2001, Prunotto (Piedmont): Very fruity, very alcoholic nose, a hint of a bakery aroma; sour and very drying, almost burning on the tip of my tongue toward the end. "Tasting a young Barolo is like having your palate mugged," Zraly says. Prunotto is owned by the Antinoris (see above). $$$ Collector's item.
Amarone Classico Superiore 2003 Allegrini (Veneto): Heavy, dried fruit, port-y aroma; very leggy; sweet, intense fruit, complex. This wine is made in a way similar to Sauternes, where the grapes are dried out first to intensify and sweeten the flavors. Needs a cheese course. $75.

Then, a nice, crisp Australian white: a 2007 Leasingham "Bin 7" Clare Valley Riesling ($16). Refreshing. Made me want a basket of fried oysters, somewhere under a beach umbrella.

Gone But Not Forgotten

2009-04-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the seventh anniversary of the death of Jimmy Armstrong.
Last night, Bobby and I toasted his memory by opening a bottle of Cline Zinfandel from Sonoma ($13.99), which was the house red at Jimmy Armstrong's Sal**n. (This one was a 2007.) Anyone who's had this wine knows that, as a zin, it's a bold red, a little spicy, with an outsize personality. Maybe a wee bit of a show-off, but not insufferably so.
Kind of like Jimmy himself.

Golly Gee! It's the Gamay-est

2009-04-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

In my pre-wine-dork days, "Beaujolais" meant one thing: Beaujolais Nouveau, that infant wine of November we often drink at Thanksgiving. I still buy a bottle every year, just for old times' sake, but it has been a treat to discover the other, more complex Beaujolais wines. Over the weekend, I had a 2006 Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais-Villages ($11.99) and enjoyed it immensely. The B-V was, of course, 100 percent gamay grapes, and it is a winsome, likable wine. It is so versatile: I had it with a hearty grilled cheese sandwich (cheddar on whole wheat, with Dijon mustard), and the next day with a broccoli pasta dish. It's delicious to drink on its own, too, fresh and uncomplicated.

Uncork (the Wine, and Yourself)

2009-04-02T21:13:00.000-07:00

I loved this article from Slate on a certain nation's drinking habits.
A Spoonful of Vino: Why are Americans obsessed with wine being good for you?

The Red Wines of California

2009-04-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Eleven reds in less than two hours, then a Chilean tasting as a post-script. Zraly gets positively evangelical when speaking on the subject of California red, specifically the cabernets. It got me thinking, "What Would Jesus Drink?" But I don't think we're tasting any Israeli wine in this course.
Here goes:

Saintsbury Pinot Noir 2006 (Napa/Carneros): Color reminiscent of grape juice, with mossy, cherry, summery scents; sharply acidic, very fruity with ascending tannin, a quiet finale. $25.
Pinot Noir 2006, Domaine Drouhin (Williamette Valley, Oregon): Floral/oak/peppery aroma; fruit explosion at the start, a red cherry note -- "Ludens," even -- drying to the throat, pleasant fruit hangs on. $35-40.
Ravenswood Zinfandel 2006 (Sonoma County): A shade of cherry, with sweet/woody nose; tannin and black fruit, drying after half a minute, then rising acidity; "integrated" for KZ but a bit tannic for me. $18.
Ridge Geyserville Zinfandel 2001 (Sonoma County): Deep garnet with pepper, marmalade and black cherry notes; very smooth, "crushed berries," a creamy mouthfeel. Sexy. $$$ (auction only).
Blackstone Merlot 2006 (California): Floral, powdery aroma; bright beginning, low acidity, thin; a subtle end. $18. This was recently noted as a "best value" merlot by The Wall Street Journal wine writers, and it's the fourth most popular merlot sold at American restaurants (winenadspiritsmagazine.com poll).
Shafer Merlot 2006 (Napa Valley): Slightly viscous texture; ripe, dead-leaf scents; zingy fruit, notes of mocha, a well-balanced "Bordeaux-style" wine. My third favorite of this class, and the only one I might have a chance to taste again. $50/limited production.
Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Napa Valley): Mossy, earthy, "structured" bouquet, doesn't throw off a lot of fruit; slightly jammy, low acid, fairly integrated but didn't stick around. $22 -- a "great value."
Blind: Note of cut grass, sweetly acidic, almost candy-like but not cloying with a nice fruity end.
Blind: A stink-bomb: rubber, sulfur, dung. Later Zraly mentioned "barnyard" and a member of the class said "horse-sh*t." Gamey, tannic, low fruit. Blech.
Blind: Weirdly, notes of both cooked asparagus and cherry; high tannin to start, then acidic and dropped obviously (I actually felt it changing inside my mouth!) to weave itself into a pleasant balanced finish.
Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1987 (Napa Valley): A vintage from the year I graduated from high school ... still very dark red and leggy in the glass; hints of honey, mint and tobacco; elegant, no element overwhelms, smooth and classy. A fluffy puppy. This and No. 4 were my favorites. $$$ (auction only).

So we played the same game as last week with the three blind tastings: Were they the same vintage from different vineyards, or different vintages from the same vineyard? I guessed right this time, mainly because No. 9 was so foul-smelling: same vintage, different producers.
The blinds were two from California and one from Bordeaux. No. 8 was Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Sonoma County), $60. No. 9 (shudder) was Chateau Talbot 2004 "Grand Cru Classsé" (St. Julien), $60. No. 10 was Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Napa Valley), $90-100. Zraly says it was a bit of a trick this time; that one is considered a "young" Bordeaux just doesn't stand up against a Cali red of that age.
After class the Chilean wine commission was hosting a tasting. It was crowded and I was a bit overwhelmed (see above!), but I did try the Casa Silva Microterroir Carmenere 2005 ($45), and found it rich, earthy and subtly spicy. And I got to chat with my neighbors from class that night, Kathy and Jeff, a cute young couple. Jeff said he was taking the course at the urging of his uncle, who took it 30 years ago. That must be one cool uncle.

It Took Me Five Years to Get the Joke

2009-03-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

Inevitably at wine class, the movie "Sideways" has surfaced a few times. (We saw it at the closing night of the New York Film Festival in 2004; Avery Fisher Hall is not a great place to see a movie, but we had a swell night ... and the director and cast were there.) Miles (Paul Giamatti) is memorable for his anti-merlot rant, and also for the scene where he gulps his prize bottle, a 1961 Cheval Blanc, from a Styrofoam cup while murdering a burger.
Well -- I discovered that the Cheval Blanc is 33 percent merlot! I wonder if there is a wine dorks' equivalent of Trivial Pursuit, because that could make a great question.
Now I can't wait to see the Japanese remake of the movie.

Teutonic and Trendy

2009-03-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

Tonight with dinner I opened a 2007 Graff Riesling Kabinettt ($11.99 at Ninth Avenue Wine & Liquor). It's part of my newfound appreciation for German wine, and hey, after all, I did spend the first 33 years of my life as a Biersdorfer, so maybe it's genetic.
For dinner I whipped up some cheddar cheese puffs (when food snobs make them with parmigiano or gruyère, they're called gougères) from a recipe in the Times' Dining section last week. Sinfully delicious. Then, black miso cod (so easy to make, and almost as good as Nobu's), plus sugar snap peas. And dessert: banana cream whoopie pie from FreshDirect. Wow, I think we stuffed three or four food trends into one meal. The Kabinett was crisp and minerally, and went with the cod like peanut butter goes with jelly. Even Bobby liked it, and he usually runs from white wine like it's hemlock.
I was happy to spend some time in the kitchen since we have been on the go lately. Now, I have homework: must read the chapter for tomorrow night's class.

Two of My Favorite Things

2009-03-28T13:33:00.001-07:00

Jude provides me with regular updates from the LOL cats collection. Perhaps it's because her hands have become permanently deformed around her iPhone. Heh heh.
Anyway, this was the best one yet!

Signs of Spring

2009-03-28T12:05:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I went running outside, and later saw daffodils, for the first time this year. I was all too ready for both.
And last night I wanted to check out City Winery with my friend Phyllis. But it was "closed to the public" for a Marianne Faithfull concert. Rats! We'll have to stop in another time.
So we ended up at Cafe Noir in Soho on the recommendation of another friend (thanks, Scott!), and what a happy turn of events it was. I had a warm goat cheese salad, french fries with dijon mustard and a glass of Côtes du Rhône, and I remember stopping at one point to exclaim how utterly happy all of the above was making me. Delicious food, great company, in a lively restaurant (TWO sessions of "Happy Birthday" nearby ... what recession?). A lovely stroll home on a spring evening was the perfect coda.

The Red Wines of Bordeaux

2009-03-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

Class 5 was the most fun yet. Kevin Zraly says Bordeaux is his favorite region; the wines are highly collectible and can age well for 100 years. (The demand from Asia and other places is also pushing the prices up.) I never really think in those terms -- how can I have a wine cellar when I live on the 9th floor? But it's fun to daydream about. Here are some notes:

Blind: Earthy/dusty bouquet; very grape-y and tannic at first, "austere," very drying, almost to the point of cottonmouth; low fruit at the finish. It was a 2005 Mouton Cadet, the world's No. 1 selling Bordeaux, produced by Chateau Mouton Rothschild. $12.
Barons de Rothschild Reserve Speciale 2005 (Médoc): Deep ruby, almost magenta upon swirling; mossy, oaky aroma, started quite astringent with fruit showing up after half a minute; good balance. $18
Château Graysac 2003 "Cru Bourgeois" (Médoc): Plush red color with leafy/plum scent; fruity and balanced with a slight dryness over time, a soft finish. $18, a good value for wine from a classified chateau.
Château La Lagune 2003, "Grand Cru Classé" (Haut-Médoc): A shade of brick, woodsy, dried fruit smell; tannic to begin, acidic and drying toward the middle with a subtle ending. Complex. $47.
Sarget de Gruaud-Larose 2005 (Saint-Julien): Deep red with ruby edges; slightly musty, nutty aroma; a fruit-acid punch at the start, then dry, softening but a closed-in finish. "Tight." $25.
Château Gruard-Larose 2005 (Grand Cru Classé" (Saint-Julien): Black fruit/violet scents; bright and balanced, mellow after a minute. $62, "a good value" from a second-label wine from the chateau.
Château Haut Corbin 2000 "Grand Cru" (Saint-Emilion): Deep red with garnet edges; an open, floral, red fruit aroma; clean fruit taste, softer tannin, an elegant structure. A bit of sediment in this one, normal for a 9-year-old bottle. (For people who think they hate merlot, this one was 70 percent merlot, and my second-favorite of this tasting.) $35.
Blind: A cloudy red, with an overripe, almost fecal smell. This wine insulted my nostrils. Surprisingly, it did not taste nearly as funky as it smelled: a bit gamey, then a bit of fruit with an appealing finish.
Blind: Medium color; minerally, slightly musty scent with a hint of hay; oaky and balanced with a lingering fruity end.
Blind: A light garnet; herbal, raspberry notes, luscious fruitiness, with a smooth and velvety farewell. A wine of "finesse. My favorite of the class.

KZ played a game at the end: Were Nos. 8, 9 and 10 wines from the same vintage but different chateaux, or different vintages from the same chateaux? I guessed wrong; it was the first choice. And they were: No. 8, the stinky one, Château Belle-Vue 2001 (Haut-Médoc), $25. No. 9, Chateau Talbot 2001 "Grand Cru Classé" (St. Julien). No. 10, Chateau Margaux 2001 "Premier Grand Cru Classé" (Margaux), $450 (!).
I had been tasting and spitting. Not for No. 10. Sigh. The high point of wine school (so far).

Homework

2009-03-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

My assignment over the weekend was to buy a Bordeaux for less than $30 (apparently to tear down the myth that the only good Bordeaux are stratospherically expensive). Mission accomplished, as some former presidents like to say.
I ended up with a 2005 Chateau Marot Bellevue Bordeaux. This was a delicious, easy-drinking red with a note of plum. It went very well with dinner last night: pesto pasta, broccoli and angel food cake. I got it for $14.99 at 9th Avenue Wine & Liquor.
Factoid alert! It is a law in France that the chateau on the label actually has to be the one attached to that vineyard.
I was also reminded of Peter Mayle's hilarious essay in French Lessons about the wild marathon in Bordeaux every September, the one where people dress up in costumes and stop for wine breaks at the chateaux. It actually made even me want to run a marathon.

The Red Wines of Burgundy and the Rhone Valley

2009-03-21T12:02:00.001-07:00

Well, the subject of Burgundy is pretty staggering. What it comes down to is you are really supposed to know about 1 gajillion towns, vineyards and producers to figure out where the good stuff is. And I used to think, hey, they're in France, so they must know how to make wine, right? We tasted 8 from Burgundy and 2 from the Rhone. Another useful hint I learned from Mr. Zraly: "If you can see through a red wine, it's ready to drink!"

Beaujolais Villages, Louis Jadot 2007 (Beaujolais): A clear red, with a young raspberry/floral/yeast aroma; started pretty acidic, with a subtle fruit end. Drink slightly chilled, and eat fish with this one. $10/bottle.
Fleurie, Georges Duboeuf 2007 (Beaujolais): Pale ruby, with earthy, dried fruit smell; a sharp zingy beginning, diving into a flat-ish finish. Pair with goat cheese. $12-15.
Mercurey, Domaine Faiveley 2006 (Côte Châlonnaise): At last, a pinot noir: Pale red with pink edges, aroma of honey and leather; acidic, then blossoming into balance, dry at the end. $25.
Santenay 2002, Joseph Drouhin (Côte de Beaune): A light brick with an "onion skin" edge, hint of vanilla; zippy, but very little fruit, out of balance. "In need of aging." $35.
Beaune Clos des Mouches, Drouhin 1999 (Côte de Beaune): Light red, thin edges, a powdery, sweet, "dead leaf" scent; balanced, minerally, sweet fruit, an elegant glass. A few bits and pieces in this one; apparently as the tannin diminishes in older wine, it becomes sediment. At least $100.
Gevrey-Chambertin, Bouchard Père & Fils 2005 (Côte de Nuits): Ruby with pale edges, leafy, buttery, minerally aroma; a clean start, bright and elegant with lingering fruit. A pinot noir aged in oak, and my favorite of this tasting. $48.
Vosne-Romanée, Les Suchots 2005, Maison Champy (Côte de Nuits): Subtle fruit/toast smell, a dry hit of oak that overpowers the fruit. $85.
Clos de Vougeot, R. Dubois & Fils 2005 (Cote de Nuits): Medium red with bright edges, a woodsy, fruity bouquet with an alcohol slap; metallic, quickly drying, zero fruit finish. Out of balance, "needs to age." $75.
Crozes Hermitage, Les Jalets, Jaboulet 2005 (Northern Rhone Valley): Dark red, a syrupy, peppery scent; fruity spice flavor, low acid in this 100 percent syrah. $20 (a great value -- "tastes like a $40 bottle.")
Chateauneuf du Pape 2001, Guigal (Southern Rhone Valley): Brick color, a bit of a rubbery smell, a warming, slightly metallic taste. Steak with this one (no wonder I didn't like it). $A lot.

What I'm Drinking Now

2009-03-18T19:56:00.001-07:00

This week I enjoyed a 2005 Cardeal Dão, a nice chewy, warming red blend from Portugal. It's a shocking bargain at $7.99 (FreshDirect/Union Square Wine).
Another favorite of mine is, of course, Malbec, this time a 2007 Crios de Susana Balbo (Mendoza). Not sure of the price on this one (I think it was a gift on the ol' wine rack), but Malbecs always seem like a good value to me. Its label says, endearingly, "This Malbec is extremely lovable and fun to be around." I'll drink to that.

The White Wines of Germany

2009-03-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

Class 3 on Monday was a trip. In addition to tasting white wines from Germany, we did a component tasting to help us identify the different elements of wine: acid, sugar, tannin and sulfur dioxide, which KZ added to samples of both water and wine. This will be useful in helping identify what's good and what's farkakteh.
I have a new respect for German wine, based both on what we tasted and on KZ's evangelism on the subject. Although I think they are still mostly too sweet for my palate, I can see adding one or two of these to my wine universe in the future.

Blind: A pale shade, with melon and cut-fruit aroma, almost a bit effervescent; light-bodied, nice zing, KZ remarked "like biting into fresh fruit." Surprise -- turned out to be Blue Nun. They need better PR, I guess.
Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Kabinett 2001, J & H Selbach (Mosel): Pale yellow, scent of apricot and minerals; sweet at the start with nice layers of flavor and a lingering finish.
Burrweiler Schlosgarten Riesling Kabinett 2001, Messmer (Rhein-Pfalz): Medium gold, smell of fig, with full, juicy flavor, hints of pear, a pleasant dryness at the end, then a bit of sweetness that hangs on. This was my favorite.
Scharzhofberger Riesling Spatlese, 2001 (Mosel): Medium yellow, rubbery/woody/metallic aroma; juicy, low fruit flavor, a Jolly Rancher finish. Eh.
Haadter Burgergarten Riesling Spatlese 2001, Weegmullen (Rhein-Pfalz): Smelled of fresh berry, dew, hay; high fruit, balanced sugar, a very smooth finish. KZ said this was his best glass of wine in a very long time...
Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling, Auslese 2001, Jakoby-Mathy (Mosel): Ivory-gold color, honey/creamy scent, smooth, with balanced fruit and a candylike finish. Elegant.
Deidesheimer Grainhubel Riesling Auslese 2001, Dr. Deinhard (Rhein-Pfalz): Honey yellow shade, aroma of prune, slight acidity, fresh and fruity.
Disznoko Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos 2000 (Hungary): Syrupy gold color, vanilla and blackcurrant scent, shadow of cinnamon; candy flavor, no acid, highly sweet -- compared to "liquid dried fruit." KZ refers to this type of wine, which can age for 150 to 200 years, as "the wine of the czars."

So August

2009-03-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday I ate at Charles, which is billed as a "semi-private" restaurant at West Fourth and West 10th and apparently wants to be the next Waverly Inn. The bar was cramped and stupidly laid out -- people crowded into the path of the kitchen -- the service was off-handed, the decor reminiscent of Plato's Retreat, and the prices laughable.
I was reminded of a passage from Susan Dominus' column in The New York Times from March 1: "Some real estate brokers at the Corcoran Group have lately picked up a phrase that Pam Liebman, their chief executive, has borrowed from a friend, a line she uses whenever people admit they’ve splurged on something a little luxurious: 'That’s so August of you.' "
I have come to think of "so August" as "overpaying for anything." I mean, $29 for THREE scallops as a main course? The Market Cafe on Ninth Avenue does an excellent appetizer of two seared scallops with potato puree. It's $9.
The wine list was interesting but also overpriced. I started with a glass of 2006 Riesling Trimbach Alsace ($13), then we had a bottle of 2005 Rosso di Montalcino Collemattoni ($58). I think it was something like the second cheapest bottle on the list. It's hard to remember the last time I ate at a place that didn't have at least a few bottles in the $35-45 range.
It's a good thing my fabulous dining companions made up for all of the above (thanks, Laura and Jonathan!).

The White Wines of California and New York

2009-03-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

It was a snow day for much of New York, but not at wine school on Monday. The pour must go on! Here are some notes:

A blind tasting: A pale yellow wine, with aromas of pear and straw. Minerally. Low zing at the beginning, high fruit/no acidity, no "hang time" and very juicy. It turned out to be Gallo Chablis Blanc, the No. 1 selling jug wine in the United States.
Riesling, Dr. Konstantin Frank 2006 (Finger Lakes, N.Y.): Yellow-gold, a tart/rubbery scent, sourish tasting to start, but zippy, with tart apple flavor and a long finish. Would pair well with Asian-fusion food. $18-20/bottle.
Fume Blanc, Dry Creek Vineyards 2006 (Sonoma County): Ivory cast, fresh fruit aroma, lots of zing to start, tart/green apple with a neutral ending. A great appetizer wine for clams, oysters or food with a creamy sauce. $14 (a "great value" in sauvignon blanc).
Sauvignon Blanc, Mason 2006 (Napa Valley): Straw yellow, strong scent of cat pee, also pineapple, very tangy, slightly bitter, then grapefruity with a balanced ending. Heavier food with this one. $18.
Chardonnay, Hawk Crest 2007 (Montery): Goldish, a twiggy/melon/vanilla smell, tart beginning, toasty, then low-key and mellow. Low oak, "Macon-style" wine, a crowd-pleaser. $12.
Blind: Definitely a young yellow, powdery, slightly oaky, low acid, grassy with a faint citrus finish. It was Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay 2006 (Sonoma Coast), the No. 1 selling wine in tablecloth restaurants in the United States. $25.
Blind: Young gold, buttery and strongly oaky smell, alcohol fumes at the start, very grape-y, low tannin, good balance. It was Lenz Chardonnay 2005 Gold Label (North Fork, Long Island). Our class seemed to favor this over Wine No. 6. $20.
Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay 2007 (Sonoma County): Fresh fruit aroma, lemony, soft edges and tannin toward the end. $14, a great value.
Au Bon Climat Chardonnay 2006 (Santa Barbara County: Buttery/tropical fruit smell, bracing acidity, almost "bakery" flavors, tingly, oaky end. Could age a bit. $25.
Talbott Chardonnay, Sleepy Hollow Vineyard 2005 (Montery): Metallic aroma, very fresh smelling, intense, sweet fruit. The class favorite (not mine). $40.
Chardonnay, Hudson Vineyard, Ramey 2005 (Napa Valley/Carneros): Honey/oaky aroma, obvious tannin, zingy, very puckery/overpowering dryness. Eat steak with this. $55.
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 2003 (Napa Valley): Soft, figgy scent, great balance, low oak. My favorite. This winery won at the Judgment of Paris in 1976. $90, and rare.

Italy, Then the Basque Country

2009-03-02T13:35:00.001-08:00

I didn't exactly celebrate Open That Bottle Night on Saturday because I don't really save wine for months or years on end. (We're a buy 'em and drink 'em household. I will be putting a wine fridge on my wish list, along with a bigger apartment, but it's out of the question at the moment.) But I did open a special wine, a 2006 Vietti Barbera D'Asti DOC ($17.25 at Garnet Wine) and it was a nice reminder of our first trip to Babbo. We got a gift certificate (thanks, Bud!) and splurged on a Barbera there that was very memorable, although I don't remember the exact wine. I want to say it was in the $125 ballpark, by far the most we have ever paid for wine in a restaurant, or anywhere else for that matter. And I was a little intimidated when the sommelier came over and spoke about the family and the vineyard it came from ... I think I would be slightly more confident now. I just have to remind myself that while it's fun to learn about it, wine is still only something to drink. No fear.
Last night we ate at Txikito (chee-kee-toe), a cute new Basque tapas joint on Ninth Avenue at 24th. I had a glass of the -- mouth-fully named -- 2004 Vina Salceda Rioja Alvesa Tempranillo Mazuela Graciano ($11), which was pleasantly spicy. Later I tried a 2006 Gaba do Xil Valdeorras Godello ($9) that was very smooth, even creamy. The second, a white that was totally new to me, was notated as being from a "Basque heritage winemaker producing outside Euzkadi," in this case Galicia, Spain. And the food was delicious but a bit salty: Grilled sardines, green beans with garlic and olive oil, and crab gratin. The bartender told us people have been flocking to the place for the chef's turbot, which she said "tastes like home" but which is only occasionally on the menu. I guess we'll have to stop in again.

10 Things, and a Celebration

2009-02-28T09:47:00.000-08:00

10 things I learned about wine this week from Kevin Zraly:
1. 2005 was a great year for wine production everywhere.
2. Smell is more important than taste; you can taste only four things (hush, you umami people), but the average person can smell 2,000 different aromas.
3. To get a great whiff of your wine, hold your hand over the glass and swirl, then remove your hand and inhale deeply.
4. Keep the first sip of wine in your mouth for 5 seconds before swallowing; wait 60 seconds and see how it develops.
5. Your sense of smell starts to diminish after age 30.
6. 90 percent of the good whites are made from riesling, sauvignon blanc or chardonnay grapes.
7. When it comes to the "weight" and the feel of the whites, think of skim milk, whole milk and heavy cream; riesling = skim, sauvignon blanc = whole, chardonnay = cream.
8. As wine ages, whites gain color and reds lose it.
9. French alsace is much different than German: higher alcohol, and the Germans tend to add juice back into the wine, which is what makes it sweet.
10. Bitterness comes from high alcohol content or high tannin level.

Today is the 10th edition of Open That Bottle Night, a "holiday" created by the wine writers of the Wall Street Journal, Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher. (Check it out at wsj.com/OTBN.) For anyone who has been saving a special bottle for perhaps too long, it's time to seize the moment and get out the corkscrew.

Gym, Then Wine

2009-02-26T20:27:00.000-08:00

I hit the gym for more than an hour after work, so of course I deserve a big fat glass of wine now. It's TuttoBene Toscano Rosso IGT 2006, a chianti from my sister who crashed with us after her building on 18th Street was out of commission because of a carbon monoxide leak. (Thanks, Jude!) The tannin kind of smacks you in the mouth right off, but quickly mellows out. It's yummy. And according to my guru KZ, 2006 was an "extraordinary vintage" for Tuscan wine.

French Whites

2009-02-25T12:11:00.000-08:00

At my class on Monday, I tasted 10 white wines from France. Here are a few notes:

1. Riesling, Trimbach 2006 (Alsace): light, semi-dry, very pale yellow, rather character-free; about $18/bottle retail.
2. Muscadet, Marquis de Goulaine 2006 (Loire): creamy, earthy, low sweetness, would go with clams or oysters; $10.
3. Pouilly Fume, Jolivet 2007 (Loire): tangy, subtle, a slight rubber smell; this wine (sauv-blanc grape) is described as "the ultimate food wine" because it would pair with so many dishes; $20.
4. Domaine de Chevalier 1989 (Pessac-Leognan): aroma of honey, dark gold in color, a puckery-tannin feel (aged in oak), and dried out my mouth. KZ calls this "one of the great Bordeaux" wines and ponied it up from his cellar to our semester's students because we took the recession plunge and enrolled! About $120 (if you can find it -- very rare).
-- We took a short break from tasting after this wine; KZ says it takes some time for the high tannin level to dissipate. Then we moved on to the chardonnay grape for wines #5-9.
5. Macon-Villages, Louis Jadot 2006 (Burgundy): apple scent, aged in steel, so no tannins, a tingly feel on the tongue with a slight pear flavor; $12, a great value, according to KZ.
6. Chablis Premier Cru Vaillon, Moreau 2006 (Burgundy): aroma of hay/subtle fruit, sweetish tasting, aged in steel; $35.
7. Meursault, Chanson 2005 (Burgundy): an oaky aroma, with a tingly sensation on first taste, a combination of woody/fruity later; KZ said, to him, it tilted toward the tannins (too dry) and therefore could use more time to age, but this was my favorite of the night; $63.
8. Puligny-Montrachet "Les Champs Gains" Olivier Leflaive 2005 (Burgundy): toasted oak aroma, very fruity, would pair with shrimp or risotto; $75.
9. Corton Charlemagne, Bonneau du Martray 2005 (Burgundy): a smoky, oaky, strong rubbery smell, with a lot of acidity followed by drymouth; the tannin overwhelms the fruit; $145.
10. Chateau Coutet 1996 (Bordeaux, Sauternes-Barsac): raisin scent, dark gold in color, honey/very sweet/nectar-like, KZ says these semillon grapes are left to dry out or "raisin-ize" on the vine, so it's an expensive, difficult wine to produce; would go with or *be* dessert, blue cheese; $90, and rare.

What fun! I wanted to keep my wits about me and take good notes, so I made frequent use of my classy styrofoam spit cup. Next week: White Wines of California and New York. Stay tuned...

First Impressions

2009-02-24T12:49:00.000-08:00

My first class was yesterday, and it was a blast. I will write about the wines I tasted soon, but I just had to express my surprise about the teacher, Kevin Zraly. I pictured a wine teacher as someone calm, professorial, maybe tending toward British, waxing poetic about wine. Not Kevin. He was quite a shock to the system: loud, excitable, hyperkinetic -- he seemed to hop around the room like a Muppet. But he is funny, entertaining and extremely passionate about his subject.
I sat next to Olga on my right and Gabriella on my left, both veterans of the restaurant industry. They were so helpful to me during my sensory overloaded first session!

Matriculation

2009-02-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

It's official. I got a letter yesterday confirming my enrollment in the eight-week winter session of the Windows on the World Wine School beginning next Monday, Feb. 23. (The restaurant was destroyed on 9/11, but the wine course carries on...) I kind of figured out I was accepted when they cashed my check last week.
The first class is White Wines of France. This may be the most fun I will have in school since the History of Rock 'n' Roll at good old Indiana U. Stay tuned!

Eat Wine

2009-02-13T22:13:00.001-08:00

I can't lay claim to that title; it's the slogan for a company called Wine Cellar Sorbet, based in Brooklyn. I had a sample of the cabernet sauvignon (they also make Champagne, riesling, rose, sangria and pinot noir). The sorbet is sensational -- I can't wait to buy a whole carton!
The company says one of the founders, David Zablocki, is the world's first "sorbet sommelier." Nice hook. I must say I am eager to try a recipe he recommends: Croissant French Toast With Carmelized Apples and Riesling Sorbet. Sounds decadent.

Just a Sip

2009-02-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

I had lunch at the marvelous Gramercy Tavern on East 20th Street on Monday. Cauliflower soup with lobster -- delicious -- and an earthy butternut squash risotto. The elegant dining room has great acoustics, soft lighting and amusing people-watching (the woman next to us had her injured arm in an Hermès-scarf sling. This is not my regular lunch crowd). Since I'm not consuming alcohol at the moment, I had just a wee taste of my lunch date's pinot noir. The menu listed it as a 2006 AP Vin Keefer Ranch Vineyard Calif. Russian River Valley ($13 a glass). At first I found notes of cherry and found it quite mouth-watering; later after it had aerated a bit, there was a hint of pepper.
The restaurant also offered pinor noir juice ... which is what I drank. A pretty decent lunch beverage, and the zero alcohol helped me stay awake for a very long matinee of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Champagne and French Oscar Bait

2009-02-09T09:12:00.000-08:00

Last night I saw The Class, which is up for best foreign film at the Oscars this year. It's about a teacher of French at a working-class school in Paris and the challenges he faces trying to get the kids (about 13-15 years old and several cultures and races) to learn. It's pretty compelling; maybe a little too long. Anyway, there's a scene in the teachers' lounge where one of the staff members announces she's pregnant. Naturally there is a bottle of Champagne popped open, and proper flutes passed around among the dozen or so teachers in the scene. The pregnant woman holds about a half-glass and gives a toast.
Can you imagine such a scene in an American school, or film, for that matter? Champagne chilling in the lounge, stemware at the ready. The teachers would be fired for having alcohol on school premises, and the expectant mother would be hounded for touching so much as a drop.
Lighten up, America.

The Beginning

2009-02-07T14:56:00.001-08:00

Wow, I'm doing it! Well, almost. I am starting a wine blog in the middle of my annual one-month vacation from alcohol, ending Feb. 22 (Oscar Night!).
I hope to treat this as a kind of diary as I learn more about ... my favorite drink. I wanted to sign up for a 21-week course on how to become a sommelier, but the class was full. So I hope to enroll in the Windows on the World wine school, which conveniently begins on Feb. 23. We'll see. If I don't get in, I will just have to do a lot of freelance tasting.